OX OXYAMIDOSTTLPHOXATES. 



229 



For coming in this case direct!}' from a substituted hvdroxyamine a 

 hyponitrite must have its oxygen between the nitrogen and metal. 



Berthelot and Maquenne have recently published papers (Compt. 

 rend. 108, 1286, 1305) containing analyses of calcium and stron- 

 tium hyponitrites. These analyses, as they point out, establish the ac- 

 curacy of the empirical formula given by one of us (Divers) to hvponi- 

 trous acid, upon which doubt had been cast by the previous work upon 

 the silver salt by Berthelot himself and Ogier (Compt. rend. 96, 30, 

 84). To this salt the latter chemists gave the formula Ag 4 N 4 5 , 

 the correctness of which was afterwards contested by us (J. Ch. 

 Soc. 45, 78). Berthelot now admits this salt to be not obtainable.in a 

 pure state, thus also confirming us, as against Zorn, van der Flaats, 

 and Menke. all of whom claimed to have got it pure without 

 difficulty. Zorn's opinion that the molecule of the acid contains two 

 atoms of each of its elements, already generally accepted, is now en- 

 dorsed by Berthelot and Maquenne. Lastly, Maquenne is disposed 

 to deny that nitrous oxide can be the anhydride of hyponitrous acid, 

 even to the extent that carbon monoxide is the anhydride of formic 

 acid, but on grounds which to us seem quite insufficient. Even the 

 facts recorded in this paper can leave hardly a doubt that it is so. 

 The formula of hyponitrous acid may now confidently be written 

 as HOjS t 2 OH or (XOH),, that is, the acid is hydroximidogen, of 

 which NOH is the radical. 



