178 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



Behavior of the Acid C3H3N3O3, ^ HgO, towards concentrated Caus- 

 tic Potash. — Id the expectation that cyanisonitrosoacethydruxamic 

 acid must, by treatment with caustic potash, yield potassic isonitroso- 

 malonate, it was heated (1 gram) with concentrated potassic hydrate 

 (6.9 grams KOli and 10 grams water) for three quarters of an hour 

 on a water bath. Ammonia is given off copiously, and the solution is 

 then treated further according to the method of Baeyer.* On addition 

 of alcohol to the solution, acidulated with acetic acid, an oily precipitate 

 is obtained, which, on rubbing with a glass rod, solidifies. Recrystal- 

 lized once from water and alcohol, it is obtained (0.5 gram) in colorless 

 leaflets, which give with ferric chloride a deep red coloration, and 

 wliich resemble very closely potassic isonitrosomalonate. The analy- 

 sis of the salt, dried over sulphuric acid in a vacuum, shewed, however, 

 that another substance is at hand, and that the original acid has lost 

 only one atom of nitrogen as ammonia in the above treatment. 



0.2498 gram substance save 32.5 c.cm. N, at 20° and 746 mm. 

 0.2024 gram substance gave 0.0988 gram K2SO4. 



Behavior of the Acid C3H3N3O3, ^ H2O, towards concentrated Hydro- 

 gen Chloride. — 2 grams of the acid are heated in a sealed tube for 

 five hours with concentrated hydrochloric acid (10 c.cm. of sp. gr. 1.18). 

 On opening the tube, the presence of carbon dioxide was noticed ; and 

 on evaporating the contents on a water bath, 2.5 grams of residue are 

 regularly obtained. On digesting this with ether, the oxalic acid 

 formed in the reaction (proved by its tests and properties) was re- 

 moved, and the residue (2 grams) consists of a mixture of much 

 ammonic chloride and of little hydroxylamine hydrochloride. A 

 quantitative determination, carried out by means of Fehling's solution, 

 showed that the residue (2 grams) consists of 1.6 grams ammonium 

 chloride and of 0.4 grams hydroxylamine hydrocliloride. 



It follows from these experiments that cyanisonitrosoacethydroxamic 

 acid is decomposed by hydrogen chloride into oxalic acid, carbon 

 dioxide, ammonium chloride, and oxyaramonium chloride ; and that 

 more than two thirds of its nitrogen is eliminated in the form of am- 

 monic chloride. 



* Ann. Clieni. (Liebig), OXXXI. 292. 



