119 



An oil was obtained whicb, when dry hydrogen chloride was passed into 

 its solution, evolved chlorine, and deposited an oily solid salt. At 115°- 

 120° it lost methyl chloride and there remained a crystalline substance 

 which, however, was not the amide and contained chlorine. This was 

 saponified with caustic soda, but the acid formed melted at 205° -210° 

 and still contained chlorine. It is evident that at some stage the benzene 

 ring became chlorinated. But the fact that methyl c^hloride was evolved 

 on heating indicates that the methyl was united to oxygen. 



A little preliminary worli was done with the brom-amides, they being 

 more easily prepared pure than the corresponding chlor derivatives. 

 While the results were not conclusive, they indicated that either metliyla- 

 tion occurred on the nitrogen atom or that a rearrangement of the amide 

 to the amine had taken place. For a distinct isonitril odor was observed 

 when the saponified product was boiled with chloroform and caustic 

 potash. Besides when m-uitro benzbromamide was methylated a suV)- 

 stance was obtained with quite different properties from those in the 

 former cases. It contained a large amount of bromine, though almost 

 inactive. A small amount of the substance gave a distinct test for form- 

 aldehyde (resorciu and sulphuric acid). This might indicate that a 

 molecule of the brom amide had added itself to the methine (CH,) group, 

 thus: 



E Co Ngj. -f CH2 — - R Co NH — CH2 Br. 



This on saponification would give a derivative of formaldehyde and 

 would contain inactive bromine. 



The worli will be extended in this and other directions as soon as 

 opportunity offers. 



Note on the Apparent Deterioration of Formalin. 

 By Thomas Laege. 



Attention of chemists and naturalists is called to the following facts: 

 A stocli of formalin, purchased from a prominent firm, for 40 per cent, 

 formaldehyde, was kept at the Biological Station of Illinois for three 

 years, where it was subjected to winter temperatures. When tempera- 

 ture was low a precipitate of white paraform (?) appeared, and was 



