90 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



A solution of the sodium salt of anilidotrinitrophenylmalonic ester 

 made by adding a di'op of sodic hydrate to an excess of the ester mois- 

 tened with alcohol, and then diluting largely with water, gave charac- 

 teristic precipitates with the following reagents : — 



With a calcitim salt, a heavy reddish brown precipitate. 



With a strontium salt, a slighter precij^itate. 



With a barium salt, a very faint precipitate. 



A magnesium salt gives a reddish brown precipitate, as heavy as 

 that obtained with the calcium salt. 



With a manganese salt, reddish brown flocks. 



With a zinc salt, yellowish brown. 



W^ith a cadmium salt, orange-yellow. 



With a copper salt, yellowish brown. 



With a lead salt, reddish brown. 



With a silver salt, dark reddish brown. 



Its most striking property is that the barium salt is the most, the 

 calcium salt the least, soluble of its salts with metals of the second 

 group, and in tiiis respect it resembles its mother substance, the brom- 

 trinitrophenylmalonic ester,* the corresponding acetacetic ester^f and 

 the orthonitrobenzoylmalouic ester of Bischoff.f 



Nitrite of Trinitrophenylenedlmalonic Ester, 

 .C,H(NO,)3CH(COOC,H.)2CNO,(COOC2H5)2. 



After we had studied the action of nitric acid on the bromtrinitro- 

 pheuylmalouic ester, it seemed of interest to determine whether the 

 dimalouic compound acted in the same way, and accordingly we pro- 

 ceeded as follows. A small quantity of the trinitrophenylenediraalonic 

 ester § (melting-point 123°) was covered with nitric acid of specific 

 gravity 1.38, and warmed in a dish on the steam bath for two min- 

 utes ; the solid turned dark yellow, and melted to a drop of oil. The 

 acid was then allowed to cool, poured off, and replaced by the same 

 quantity of fresh acid, when it was warmed as before for three min- 

 utes, making five m all. Upon standing, the oily product solidified to 

 a mass of crystals, which were washed thoroughly with water, and at 

 first recrystallized from alcohol ; but as m each crystallization a small 

 quantity of yellow oil was formed, we feared a partial decomposition, 

 and resorted to the method which had given excellent results in the 

 purification of the nitrite of bromtrinitrophenyhnalonic ester, that is, 



» These Proceedings, XXIV. 261. t Ann. Cliem., CCLI. 362. 



t Ibid., 278. § Tiiese Proceedings, XXIV. 268. 



