ALKALI METAL ; EDWARD DIVERS. 27 



ammonium nitrate when reduced by sodium amalgam, gives 

 much more nitrous oxide in proportion to nitrogen than does 

 potassium or sodium nitrate (no doubt because there is less rise 

 in temperature). 



Without speculating on the constitution of a nitrite, we 

 are able to see from the interactions between ethyl iodide and 

 silver nitrite that a nitrite may react both as an oxylic salt 

 NaONO and as a halide NaNOo. From the sodium reduction 

 there will then first result the radicals NaON= and NaNO. 

 From the former or sodioximido radical may well come the 

 hyponitrite and hydroxylamine, and from the other or sodium 

 nitrosyl radical the nitrous oxide and nitrogen. In accordance 

 with the facts observed, the sodioximide, in concentrated alka- 

 line solution, will condense into sodium hyponitrite, stable 

 against reduction, or, in very dilute alkaline solution, will by 

 hydrolysis and reduction become alkali and hydroxylamine. 

 The hypothetical nitroside will also condense and simply 

 hydrolyse into nitrous oxide and alkali, principally at low tem- 

 peratures or will become reduced and hydrolysed into nitrogen 

 and alkali, principally at higher temperatures. 



To establish the points in the reductiou of the two nitrites 

 by their respective metals, here described, I have made very 

 many experiments, usually working upon quarter-gram mole- 

 cules of nitrite. The hyponitrite obtained was weighed as silver 

 salt. The hydroxylamine was estimated by the quantity of 

 metallic silver it yielded and in this way ; — the black precipitate 

 it causes in silver nitrate solution in presence of alkali, being 

 largely suboxide, this was washed out with cold dilute nitric 

 acid and ammonia alternately, and the residual brownish metallic 



