298 E. DIVERS AND T. HAGA : 



its full snlplionation, was found to have only 53.3 per cent, of 

 it as sulphonate and 44.7 per cent, of it as sulphite, as already 

 given ; had we stopped here at 20 per cent, sulphur dioxide, as 

 we did with the smaller portion, the difference would have been 

 more striking still. The difference observed was due to the smaller 

 portion having, in relation to its quantity, received sulphur 

 dioxide four times more rapidly than the larger portion had, the 

 stream of sulphur dioxide having been steady and closely alike 

 in the two cases. The result was that local saturation was less 

 checked by the agitation of the flask in this case than when 

 the much larger portion of solution was under treatment. 



The lack of uniformity in the results here described, does 

 not affect in the least the evidence they afford that the sulphon- 

 ation of nitrite in presence of carbonate differs greatly in its 

 course from that it runs in presence of alkali hydroxide. 



Respecting the formation and destruction of sulphite in the 

 process, this salt was observed to be produced rapidly until in 

 quantity it had become equivalent to about one-eighth of the 

 sulphur dioxide needed for sulphonation of all the nitrite. Then, 

 for a time, its quantity remains nearly steady, all sulphur dioxide 

 entering the solution during that time becoming sulphonate. 

 Finally, it steadily lessens in quantity as more sulphur dioxide 

 is added, and disappears just at the end of the sulphonation. 

 The more rapidly the sulphur dioxide is blown in at first, the 

 less of it becomes sulphite, and the more snlphonates, as already 

 stated above. 



One other striking thing observed in these experiments was 

 the great variability of the point at which acid carbonate first 

 precipitated, as well as the variability of its quantity. With 

 quick working acid carbonate precipitated much earlier and in 



