322 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION B. 



samples obtained by the older methods iuvai-iably do unless at once 

 purified by solution in dilute acid and reprecipitation with ammonia. 



The silver hyponitrite was filtered off on a tared filter, washed 

 free from silver nitrate, then treated with alcohol and ether to get 

 rid of the water present, and finally dried in a vacuum desiccator 

 over sulphuric acid and weighed, giving 3"042-l grams of silver 

 hyponitrite, or about 6 per cent, of the theoretical yield. This is 

 abfuit the same as the yield obtained by Divers' original method. 



To test its purity a weighed quantity of this hyponitrite was 

 taken, dissolved in nitric acid, and titrated for silver, the amount 

 found present being •i-2 per cent, below the theoretical amount 

 calculated for pure silver hyponitrite. 



In another experiment the materials were kept during the reduc- 

 tion process at 0° C. by immersing in a bath of melting ice instead 

 of merely cooling to about 10° with a stream of water. In this 

 case the reaction took very much longer, being still incomplete in 

 forty-eight hours, and gave only a 2 per cent, yield of silver 

 hyponitrite. 



This method, though apparently not possessing any advantage 

 over Divers' method in the yield of hyponitrite, is, however, not 

 inferior to it in that respect, and possesses the advantage that the 

 reducing substances formed in the reaction, being completely 

 removed by washing with alcohol, the resulting hyponitiite is 

 easily obtained in a pure state. 



-o-ijl-o- 



7.— ON THE INTERACTION OF NITRIC OXIDE AND 

 SODIUM AMALGAM IX PRESENCE OF ALCOHOL. 



Bij GEO. W. MACLONALD, B.Sc, University of Melbourne. 

 [Communicated by Phofessor Orme Masson, M.A., D.Sc] 



The results of this investigation, undertaken at the suggestion 

 and with the guidance of Professor Orme Masson, being as yet 

 incomplete, the author has deemed it advisable to give only a brief 

 summary of the work so far accomjilished, reserving a fuller 

 account for a future date. 



This investigation differs from previous work* in the use of 

 sodium amalgam as the reducing agent and the sxibstitution of 

 absolute alcohol for water. 



• Lossen. Ann. Cliem. Phaim., Suppl. Bd. vi., 220. Ludwig & Hein. Ber., Deutsch Chem., 

 Ges. II., 671. piveis & Ilaga, J.C.S., vol. 47, p. 361. Dunstan & Dj-muml. J.C.S., vol. 

 61, p. 646. The fti>t iwo i e^eal•ehes deal wiili the production of hydioxylamme by reduction 

 of nitric oxide in acid solution ; the two latter with the formation of potassium hyponitrite 

 hy the action of an silkalino solution of potassium stannite on nitric oxide. 



