Dr. Frankland on Organo-metallic Bodies. 225 



action has oace been set up, it goes on with considerable rapidity, 

 even in the cold. The products of this reaction were proved to be 

 iodide of methyle and iodide of distanethyle : — 



31 J ^Sn|C,H, 



Iodide of distanethyle, which has already been partially examined, 

 although with discordant results^ by M. Lowig and by MM. Ca- 

 hours and Riche, is a dark straw-coloured, somewhat" oily liquid, 

 which does not solidify at — 13° C. It possesses an extremely pun- 

 gent and intolerable odour, resembling oil of mustard. Its specific 

 gravity at 15° C. is 2-0329. At 208° C. it enters into ebullition, but 

 cannot be distilled without decomposition. 



Treated with hot hydrochloric acid, stannic ethylomethide is de- 

 composed, yielding a crystallizable salt and a gaseous mixture, con- 

 sisting of — 



Hydride of ethyle 81'21 



Hydride of methyle 18-79 



rO(H)0~ 

 III. Action of Zincethyle upon Iodide of Mercurymethyle. 

 The formation of stannic ethylomethide in the manner just de- 

 scribed, encouraged the author to attempt a similar reaction with 



r c H 



iodide of mercurymethyle, Hg \ \ \ Mr. Buckton's announce- 



[ '■ r c H 



ment* of the formation of mercuric ethide, Hg < p* ^^, by an ana- 

 logous reaction, tended also to strengthen the hope that a mercuric 

 ethylomethide might be thus obtained. 



Iodide of mercurymethyle is readily acted upon by zincethyle, but 

 no mercuric ethide was produced, the reaction being expressed by 

 the following equation : — 



2Zn(C,HJ i~]znL '^ 



IV. Action of Zincmethijle upon Chloride of Mercury ethyle. 



Although the above reaction failed to produce mercuric ethylo- 

 methide, it was still possible that this body might be formed by 

 acting upon a mercuryethyle compound with ziucmethyle. About 

 five ounces of chloride of mercurous ethyle (Hg (C^ H,) CI) were 

 added to four ounces of a strong ethereal solution of zincmethyle. 

 Considerable heat was evolved ; and after forty-eight hours the pro- 

 duct was distilled. All the volatile portion came over below 140° C. 

 The distillate was washed with weak acetic acid, dried over chloride 

 of calcium, and then rectified. A considerable portion distilled be- 

 tween 127° and 137° C, and was collected apart. The last few 

 drops came over at 1.56° C. Repeated rectifications of the product 

 boiling between 127° and 137°C. did not serve to isolate any portion 

 of the distillate, liaving a fixed boiling-point; on the contrary, it 

 was evident tiiat the range of the temperature of distillation became 

 • Pliil. Mag. vol. wii. 1). -iia, 



Phil. May. S. 4. Vol. 18. No. 119. Hept. 1859. Q 



