S0DIU3I OR POTASSIUM ! EDWARD DIVERS. 71 



a (hypo)nitrososulphate, as determined by Haga and me [J. Ck. 

 Soc, 1895, 67, 1098)— 



Simple liyponitroso-acetic acid, C.Hp.O.N. OH, would be isomeric 

 with acetonitrosohydroxamic acid, C2H30.N(NO)OH, wbicli Hantzscb 

 and Saner bave been trying to prepare. The hyponitrosoacet- 

 ates are much more stable in water than the (hypo)nitrososul- 

 phates, a difference perhaps connected with the fact that sulphuric 

 acid ionises largely, while both acetic acid and hyponitrous acid 

 ionise very little. Heated with water the hyponitrosoacetates 

 decompose like the (liypo)nitrososulphates in cold water. 



Mercuric by poni trite. 



Mercuric hyponitrite is a particularly interesting salt, which 

 has not yet been described. Ray has, indeed, described some 

 substances regarded by him as being basic mercuric liyponi- 

 trites, but obtained under conditions suggestive of the probability 

 of their being something quite différent, and not yet proved by 

 him to be what he has put them forth as being. One of them 

 he obtained by the interaction of solutions of mercuric nitrite 

 and potassium cyanide, a very interesting and remarkable 

 result, should it be confirmed. In any case, his precipitates 

 appear to have nothing at all in common with the normal salt 

 here described, and cannot be obtained in the ordinary way. 

 The existence of this salt was indicated by me in 1871. 



Mucuric hyponitrite is obtained by precipitation from a 

 solution of sodium hyponitrite by one of mercuric nitrate. The 

 solution of sodium hyponitrite and hydroxide, obtained by 



