Feb., 1919] Ammonia and Nitrous Nitrogen in Rain Water 231 



prepared May 16, 1917, and were compared on December 19th, 

 seven months later. - A comparison made on May 22, 1918, 

 showed a further decomposition amounting to an additional 

 15%. Assuming that the decomposition followed the law of 

 mass action, corrections were applied to the field determina- 

 tions, and the results tabulated are the corrected observations. 



The necessity for preparing distilled water was fortunately 

 obviated by the almost total absence of either nitrous nitrogen 



TABLE. 

 AMMONIA AND NITROUS NITROGEN IN RAIN WATER OF SOUTHWESTERN ALASKA. 



or ammonia nitrogen in the spring and creek waters of the 

 district, and in water obtained from melting snow. At Kashvik 

 Bay no coloration whatever was produced by Nessler's reagent 

 in the water from the creek. On adding to 50 cubic centimeters 

 of the creek water 0.05 cubic centimeters of the standard 

 NH 4 C1 solution containing 0.00001 grams nitrogen per cubic 

 centimeter, a distinct coloration was produced, and on diluting 

 to half this concentration the solution was more strongly colored 

 than an equal volume of creek water. A similar test, using 

 the standard NaNO 2 solution proved the almost entire absence 

 of nitrites in the water of the creek. 



