150 Royal Society : — 



amorphous precipitate, which yielded ou analysis numbers leading 

 to the formula 



j-H 

 N< H 

 [Zn. 



The analysis of the combustible gas proved that 1 vol. consumed 

 3"43 vols, oxygen, and generated I'Oo vol. carbonic acid; numbers 

 almost identical with those yielded by hydride of ethyle, with which 

 the gas is also identical in specific gravity. These results prove that 

 zincethyle acts upon ammouiacal gas in the following manner : — 



The solid product of the reaction, for which I propose the name 

 zincamide, is a white amorphous bodj'^ insoluble in ether, and instantly 

 decomposed by water and alcohol, with evolution of great heat, and 

 in such a manner as to regenerate ammonia. Thus with water the 

 following equation expresses the reaction : — 



n{|+S}o,=n{||+|"}o,. 



Heated with iodide of ethyle in a sealed tube at 145° C, zincamide 

 gives iodide of zinc and iodide of diethylammonium — 



N Ih +2^4^5 1 N(C4Hg)2H2 1 + ZnI. 



[ Zn -* 



Nitride of Zinc. 

 Zincamide can bear a temperature of 200° C. without decompo- 

 sition, but at a low red heat it is decomposed into nitride of zinc and 

 ammonia : — 



fH rii rzn 



3N^H=2N^ H + N^ Zn 

 [ Zn [ n [ Zn. 



Nitride of zinc is a grey pulverulent body, which is neither fused, 

 decomposed, nor volatilized at a red heat out of contact with air. It 

 is decomposed by water with great violence ; in fact, if the nitride be 

 merely moistened with water, it becomes red-hot. Several analyses 

 prove that the formula of nitride of zinc is 



rzn 



N ^ Zn 

 [Zn. 

 The study of the products of its decomposition by water shows 

 that the reaction may be thus expressed : — 



rZn (II J , 



N \ Zn+GHO = N \ Il-f 3„" i 0^ 



|zn II H J 



