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presence of elements so dissimilar as nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, 

 and antimony ; they might, moreover, be confounded with potassa 

 and soda, by which they are scarcely surpassed in alkaline power. 



Only the deportment of the hydrated oxides, under the influence 

 of heat, distinguishes the derivatives of nitrogen from the corre- 

 sponding terms of the phosphorus-, arsenic-, and antimony-series. 



If we regard, on the other hand, the compounds belonging to the 

 ammonia-type, we observe that the electro-positive character of the 

 substances gradually rises in intensity from the nitrogen- to the 

 antimony-compounds. Thus, trimethylamine and triethylamine are 

 not capable of uniting with oxygen, chlorine, bromine, and iodine ; 

 a power which the corresponding terms of the phosphorus-, arsenic-, 

 and antimony-series possess in a high degree. 



Triethylamine unites with the acids producing compounds of the 

 ammonium-type, and containing 



E 3 N,HCI 



E 3 N,HS0 4 



E 3 N,HNO 6 



The corresponding compounds in the arsenic- and antimony-series 

 do not exist ; at all events chemists have not yet succeeded in pre- 

 paring them. Triethylarsine and triethylstibine combine only directly 

 with oxygen, chlorine, sulphur, &c., producing saline bodies which 

 have the composition respectively, 



E 3 AsO 2 E 3 SbO 2 



E 3 AsCl 2 E 3 SbCl 2 



. E 3 AsS 2 E 3 SbS 2 



In the phosphorus-series, lastly, the two classes are represented. 

 Triethylphosphine not only forms compounds analogous to the salts 

 of triethylamine, but also the terms corresponding to the binoxides of 

 triethylarsine and triethylstibine. We have in the first place the 



terms 



E 3 P,HC1 



E 3 P,HS0 4 

 E 3 P,HN0 6 , 



and in the second place compounds of the formula 

 . E 3 P0 2 

 E 3 PC1 2 

 E 3 PS 2 



