Intelligence and Miscellaneous ^4rticles. 155 



3. ITiat the first of these three new compounds is solid, yellow, 

 inodorous, insipid, insoluble in water, and inert, at least at common 

 temperatures ; that the second is liquid, extremely noxious, spon- 

 taneously inflammable, and susceptible of forming a new acid when 

 gradually exposed to oxygen ; that the third is alkaline, non-inflam- 

 mable, and susceptible, like the preceding, of absorbing oxygen gas, 

 and giving rise to a totally different acid. 



4. That the spontaneously inflammable compound may be con- 

 verted into the two others under the influence of a great excess of 

 acid ; but in the state of monohydrochlorate it is decomposed by the 

 action of water and of heat, producing a new gas P H^ C^ H®, or pro- 

 bably PH C2 Hs H2. 



5. That this same compound is analogous to cacodyl ; and confirms 

 by this analogy the natural relations which exist between arsenic and 

 phosphorus. 



The author concludes with the following considerations : — 



Is it not probable that, with other hydrochlorates of carburetted 

 hydrogen and phosphuret of calcium, a series of products would be 

 obtained analogous to those which are yielded by hydrochlorate of 

 methylene ? 



May we not hope that the arseniurets of hydrogen will produce 

 similar combinations ; and is it going too far to presume that it will 

 probably be the same with nitruret of hydrogen ? 



There would thus be formed a great number of new compounds 

 which ought to be assimilated to organic compounds, and of which 

 theory now indicates the composition and properties. 



It is even probable that phosphorusoccurs in cerebral matter, the 

 nerves, &c., in which it has been discovered in this state of com- 

 bination ; but the phosphuret of hydrogen in them must be com- 

 bined with much carburetted hydrogen. 



The author has already procured a new series of products resulting 

 from the reaction of hydrochloric aether, or hydrochlorate of ethyle 

 and phosphuret of calcium : they are such, that the series which 

 they constitute is to that whi«h the author has described, as alcohol 

 is to pyroxylic spirit. — Comptes Rendus, Decembre 13, 1847. 



ON CHRISTIANITE — A NEW MINERAL. 



M. Descloizeaux states that in the month of July 1846, he found 

 in the cavities of an amygdaloidal trap which forms the bay of 

 Dyrefiord, on the western coast of Iceland, some small translucent 

 colourless crystals, which scratched glass readily, were fragile, and 

 of sp gr. 2-201. 



I'hese crystals are very closely aggregated together, and, grouped 

 in the mammillary form or tliat of cock.s-combs, analogous to some 

 varieties of prehnite, have as their primary form a right rhombic 

 prism of Ill°15', in which one of the sides of the base is to the 

 height as 537 to 786. 



