Royal Society. 371 



fleets the more refrangible rays with a fine opalescent appearance, 

 due no doubt to the so-called epipolic refraction. The epipolic rays 

 visible by ordinary daylight on and at some depth below its sur- 

 face, are of a fine violet tint, differing decidedly from the blue colour 

 exhibited by disulphate of quinine in like circumstances. The flame 

 of sulphur does not bring out this effect more strongly than the 

 diffused light of the sun. 



Phosphate of phenyle dissolves in strong nitric acid with evolution 

 of considerable heat, and the solution gives out nitrous fumes on 

 ebullition. A heavy yellow oil is precipitated by water from this 

 solution, and collects in drops which ultimately solidify, and their 

 solidification is, singularly enough, accelerated by hot water, by 

 reason of its more quickly dissolving out the nitric acid which at first 

 holds the°solid body in solution. Nitrophosphate of phenyle is an acid, 

 and forms with potash a beautiful crystalline salt. 



An alcoholic solution of phosphate of phenyle decomposes acetate 

 of potash on ebullition. After the alcohol is distilled off, the tempe- 

 rature of the mixture rises rapidly on the application of further heat, 

 and a limpid oleaginous substance, having a very peculiar odour, 

 distils over, which possesses the composition of acetate of phenyle. 

 This compound boils at 190° Cent. ; it is heavier than water, and 

 very slightly soluble in that liquid. It dissolves with decomposition 

 in boiling potash. 



Cyanide of phenyle is obtained by the action of the phosphate on 

 cyanide of potassium. It is decomposed by boiling potash with 

 evolution of ammonia. 



Terchloride of phosphorus, when distilled with hydrate of phenyle, 

 seems to act at first similarly to the pentachloride, but the phosphite 

 of phenyle formed is decomposed by heat ; and among the products of 

 distillation is found a body boiling at 80° Cent., and possessing all 

 the properties of benzine, i. e. hydruret of phenyle. 



The formation of the iodide of phenyle is necessarily attended with 

 some difficulty, owing to the circumstance of phosphorus not com- 

 bining with more than three equivalents of iodine. Its boiling- 

 point is 190° Cent. 



Mr. Scrugham has had reason to confirm the statements of Lau- 

 rent and Gerhardt respecting the benzoate of phenyle, and has pre- 

 pared that compound in considerable quantities by the action of 

 chloride of benzoyle on phenylate of potash. Chloride and phos- 

 phate of phenyle could not be made to react on benzoate of potash. 



Chloride of cuminyle reacts with violence on phenylate of potash, 

 with formation of cuminate of phenyle, a comjjound analogous to the 

 benzoate. 



Chloride of phenyle was heated with phenylate of sodium, with a 

 view to the formation of oxide of phenyle, and there is no doubt that 

 this compound was formed by the reaction, as the correlative pro- 

 duct, chloride of sodium, was detected. But a further account of 

 this and other reactions is deferred until the experimental investiga- 

 tion is more advanced. 



Specimens of most of the compounds mentioned were exhibited. 

 2 C 2 



