Mr. J. A. Wanklyn an some new Ethyle-compounds. 237 



bonaceous residue. This reduction of a sodium-compound by heat 

 alone is an anomaly in chemistry. 



When the crystals are heated in the water-bath with potassium, 

 a sudden evolution of gas occurs, and there results metallic zinc, with 

 a hquid alloy of potassium and sodium — a result likewise peculiar. 



When the crystals are heated in the water-bath with excess of 

 sodium, evolution of gas likewise takes place. 



From these experiments it would seem that the conjoined ziuc- 

 elhyle is necessary to the existence of sodium-ethyle ; or more pre- 

 cisely, that some adjunct of a less positive nature than sodium-ethyle 

 is requisite to make the existence of the latter possible. 



Passing on to the other reactions of the crystals 2(ZnCjH5) 1 



NaC.H. j; 

 With water there is given pure hydride of ethyle, and hydrated oxides 

 of zinc and sodium. The reaction takes place with great evolution 

 of heat. 



With carbonic acid there is given propionate of soda, which unites 

 with zinc- ethyle forming a double compound, decomposed on the 

 addition of water. To the account of this reaction, published else- 

 where, I have to add that it takes place without evolution of ethyle 

 or any other gas — a result which further confirms the formula of 

 sodium-ethyle adopted in this paper. 



With carbonic oxide there is also a reaction, which is in course of 

 examination. 



Cyanogen gas is instantly absorbed, with the formation of a brown 

 solution. 



With ether there seems to be no reaction. For the rest, with 

 oxygen, iodine, «S:c., I should predict reactions quite analogous to 

 those of ziuc-ethyle, but have not specially examined the point. 



Potassium-ethyle. 



Zinc-ethyle and potassium react still more readily than the former 

 body and sodium. So far as at present ascertained, the cases greatly 

 resemble one another. Just as with sodium, I obtain crystals readily 

 soluble m zinc-ethyle, which contain in this case abundance of 

 potassium. 



Seeing that the kind of reaction brought under notice in this 

 paper is apparently unique, it is necessary to offer a few observations 

 upon it. 



^ Zn 1 , Na\_^ Na 1 , Zn 

 2-C,Hj+Na|-2-C,Hj+Zn 



The reaction here formulated may be regarded as an electrolytic 

 decomposition — as an ordinary case of precipitation of one metal by 

 a more electro-posiiivc metal. Here ethyle is the electro-negative, 

 and zinc the electro-positive member : sodium is more electro-posi- 

 tive than zinc, and accordingly sodium displaces zinc. 



Following out the hypotheBis — where the orgauo-metallic body 



