368 BULLETIN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. 



99.9° under a pressure of 738.4 mm. The dielectric constant 

 found was 40.4 at 19° C. Thwing 1 gives the value 56.36 at 

 15° C. 



Nitroethane. — Schuchardt's preparation was dehydrated and 

 rectified as in the case of nitromethane. Its boiling-point was 

 110.5° C. at 738.3 mm. of pressure. The value of its D. C. 

 was found to he 29.5 at 18° C. 



Methyl Nitrate.— -The sample of methyl nitrate used for the 

 measurements was prepared from Kahlbaum's best methyl alco- 

 hol by treating it with nitric acid according to the method of 

 J. Lea. 2 The sample was washed with water containing a 

 small amount of sodium carbonate, and was dehydrated with 

 fused calcium chloride and finally distilled from a waterbath. 

 Its boiling point was 64.4° C. at 730.2 mm. of pressure. The 

 value 23.5 was found for its D. C. at 18° C. No absorption 

 was observed. 



Ethyl Nitrate. — Schuchardt's preparation was washed with 

 water containing a trace of sodium carbonate to remove traces of 

 nitric acid and alcohol. It was then dried with fused cal- 

 cium chloride and redistilled twice. The boiling point was 

 86.1° at 729.4 mm. of pressure. The average of three determi- 

 nations gave the value 18.3 at 18° C. Thwing found the value 

 17.72 at 15° and Drude found 19.6 for the D. C. of this com- 

 pound at 17° C. 



Propyl Nitrate. — This compound was prepared according to 

 the method of Wallach and Schulze. 3 The propyl alcohol used 

 for its preparation was redistilled. Its boiling-point was 95.8° 

 under a pressure of 752 mm. The sample of propyl nitrate was 

 dehydrated and rectified as described for ethyl nitrate. Its 

 boiling point was 108.5° C. under a pressure of 738.5 mm. 

 The value 13.9 was obtained for its D. C. at 18° C. 



Iso-butyl Nitrate. — Schuchardt's preparation was redistilled. 

 Its boiling-point was 120.0° under 738.2 mm. of pressure. 



i Physical Review. 2, 35. (1894). 



2 See Beilstein, Handbuch der Organischen Cbemie. (Third edition) Vol. I, p. 324. 



3 Ber. d. Deutsch. Chem. Gesel. 14, 422. 



