320 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION B. 



of ammonia. It was thought that the ammonium salt might be 

 separated as the sodium salt had been, by the addition of alcohol to 

 its aqueous solution. It was found, however, that no precipitate 

 was thus obtained, the salt being soluble in alcohol; and an attempt 

 was next made to obtain it by eA'aporating an alcoholic solution. 

 Accordingly, anhydrous (NHi), S was prepared, and this was made 

 to act on dry AgNO. The silver sulphide was filtered off and 

 the filtrate vvas evaporated under the pump over sulphuric acid, a 

 column of KHO being placed between the pump and the desiccator 

 to prevent the entrance of moisture to the alcoholic ammonium 

 sulphide. In this way stellate groups of long needles were obtained; 

 these contained ammonia, and at once gave the characteristic 

 yellow AgNO on direct treaiment with AgNOj solution. They 

 were evidently crystals of ammonium hyponitrite. Several small 

 preparations of the ammonium salt have thus been made, but the 

 salt has not been yet prepared in sufficiently large quantities to 

 allow of a full examination of its properties. The decomposition 

 of the salt by water, however, is a notable fact. It may be 

 mentioned, in conclusion, that the decomposition of ammonium 

 hyponitrite by heat is of considerable interest, for, as suggested to 

 me by Professor Masson, it may be expected to decompose thus : — 



(NH,)2 N2O2 = N,H, + 2H2O. 

 This N4H4 may be the hitherto undiscovered tetrazone, or possibly 

 its isomer ammonium hydrazoate. The following are analogous 

 cases to that stated above : — 



NH4 NO3 = X O + 2H.,0 



NH4 NO, = N2 + 2H.,d 



NH2.OH.HNO2 = HO. N. N. OH + H,0 

 = N2O + 2H.,0 (Paal) 



N2H4 + HNO2 = HN3 + 2H2O (Curtius, Ber., 1893, p. 1263). 

 Similarly NH2. OH. HNO, Avhich I find to be readily obtained 

 from NH.,. OH. HCl and AgNO, may be expected to decompose 

 thus :— nYl. OH. HNO = N, + 2H,0. 



This investigation was carried out vmder the direction of Pro- 

 fessor Masson, iu the chemical laboratory of the University of 

 Melbourne. 



o->2<-o 



6.— THE PREPARATION OF HYPONITRITES FROM 

 ETHYL NITRITE IN ALCOHOLIC SOLUTIONS. 



By B. AVERY, B.Sc, F.C.S., Fellow and Tutor of Queen's 

 College, University of Melhourne. 



This investigation was undertaken at the suggestion of Professor 

 Masson. The work of Mr. D. H. Jackson, who investigated 



