S^i Nolices of the Labours of Continental Chemists. 



For if M. de la Rive, in all these experiments, found the 

 conditions always varied in order that the chemical action 

 upon each couple might excite the same electricity, I should 

 desire very much that he would point out at least one experi- 

 ment in which the couples remaining equal both in number and 

 quality, but the conductivity of the pile varying, the tension 

 might be seen likewise to vary. This experiment I expected to 

 find described in the above-mentioned work, after his having 

 said that he agreed with me, that all which diminishes the con- 

 ductivity of the pile, must, according to his theory, augment 

 the tension of the poles ; I expected also, that he would only 

 disagree with me in regard to the mode of diminishing the 

 said conductivity. I find instead, that M. de la Rive says, 

 that in my method of weakening the conductivity of the pile, if 

 on one part the two electric principles met together at the 

 poles have less facility of reuniting themselves, they are deve- 

 loped in less quantity. But truly he should agree that they 

 might be developed not in less quantity, although with less 

 tension, that the electric principles might show themselves 

 unvaried in the tension at the poles of the pile, notwithstanding 

 that its conductivity might vary. 



[To be continued.] 



LXXX. Notices of the Results of the Labours of Continental 

 Chemists. By Messrs. W. Francis and H. Croft. 



[Continued from p. 442.] 



Action of Chlorine on Oxalic JEther. 



IV/I ALAGUTl has published a series of interesting experi- 

 -^ "*- ments on the action of chlorine on oxalic JEther. He has 

 succeeded in preparing a chloroxalic tether, in which the entire 

 quantity of the hydrogen of oxalic tether is replaced by an equi- 

 valent quantity of chlorine, C'- C1"^0'*. The resulting chloro- 

 xalic ffither affords with liquid ammonia oxamid, with gaseous 

 ammonia chloroxamethane, a body comparable in every respect 

 to oxamethane. The chloroxamethane is converted by the ac- 

 tion of liquid ammonia into chloroxalovinate of ammonia, from 

 which may be obtained the chloroxalovinic acid, which differs 

 from oxalovinic acid solely from its containing chlorine in the 

 place of hydrogen. This acid may be obtained in an anhydrous 

 state by the action of alcohol on chloroxalic aether, which may 

 again be made to give birth to a chlorated acid, especially by 

 the oxidizing action of alkalies. One of the most remarkable 



* [The system of formula; in this abstract is different from that in the 

 former abstracts ; the small French value for carbon having been assumed.] 



