44 Royal Society : — 



takes place with ffithylate of ammonia ; the following equations 

 represent these changes : — 



Ci2H5NH'*02=Ci2H7N + 2HO 



C4H5NH4 02=C''IFN + 2HO. 



iEthylate of ammonia may be prepared by the action of sul- 

 ])hate of ammonia upon potassium-alcohol. Also we might hope 

 to obtain sulphobcnzolic acid, C'-H''2S0^ by the action of 

 nitric acid on sulphocyanide of phenyle, just as hyposulpha>thylic 

 acid is obtained from the corresponding ecthyle term, A more 

 extended study too of sulphophcnic acid and its derivatives would 

 be of great interest. The action of sulphasthylate of silver upon 

 iodide of methyle, and of sulphoniethylate of silver upon iodide 

 of Kthyle, gives rise to products now under investigation, 

 products which no doubt have their representatives in the 

 phenyle series. A digestion of sulplipethylate of silver with iodide 

 of fethyle appears to yield an oily substance, probably sulph- 

 ^thylate of ?ethyle (sulphate of a?thyle), to the presence of which 

 in sulphfcthylates undergoing decomposition, their peculiar odour 

 is perhaps to be attributed, and from which by further change 

 parathionic acid may be derived. 



Juue 1855. 



VIII. Proceedivgs of Learned Societies, 



ROYAL SOCIETY. 



[Continued from vol. ix. p. 544.] 



March 22, 1855. — The Lord Wrottesley, President, in the Chair. 



''PHE following communications were read : — 

 -* " On the Anatomy of Nautilus umbilicatus, compared with that 

 oi Nautilus Pompilius." By John Denis Macdonald, Esq., R.N. 



During a visit of H.M.S.V. ' Torch ' to the Isle of Pines in July 

 1854, a recent specimen of Nautilus umbilicatus was picked upon 

 the outer reef oif Observatory Island. It was alive when brought on 

 board, but was too mucli exhausted to exhibit active movements. 

 Part of the hood appeared to have been eaten away behind by some 

 predaceous enemy, but in other respects the animal was perfect. 



The body when retracted lay more deeply in the shell than that 

 of N. Pompilius, so that no part was visible in a lateral view, and on 

 account of the great depth of the chamber of occupation the orifice 

 of the siphuncle in the last septum could not be seen when the soft 

 parts were removed. As to this difference, however, the author ob- 

 serves that it may depend on tlie time elapsed since the formation of 

 the last partition. 



Apart from the shells, the author finds a close resemblance be- 

 tween the corresponding parts of the two species. 



The specimen of N. umbilicatus examined proved to be a female ; 



