

229 



at various heights, and liberated in those parts when the vapour is 

 condensed into liquid. This liberation of heat creates ascending cur- 

 rents in the parts locally affected, when horizontal winds, produced 

 by gravitation, blow over the surface towards the ascending currents 

 to re-establish the disturbed equilibrium. This process, by heating 

 the air in the middle regions, was asserted to have been proved to be 

 the cause, not only of the great trade-winds and the monsoons, but 

 of the storms and local winds over the different regions of the globe. 



II. "Notes of Researches on the Poly-Ammonias." By A. W. 

 HOFMANN, LL.D.j F.R.S. No. II. Action of Chloroform 

 upon Aniline. Received April 15, 1858. 



In a former Note addressed to the Royal Society (Proceedings, 

 vol. ix. p. 150), I have alluded to some new alkaloids which are pro- 

 duced by the action of the bromides of triatomic alcohols upon the 

 primary amidogen bases. 



I have since examined more minutely one of these bodies. At the 

 common temperature, chloroform and aniline may be left in contact 

 for a considerable time without any change becoming perceptible. 

 Even at the temperature of boiling water scarcely any reaction takes 

 place. But on exposing for ten or twelve hours a mixture of about 

 equal volumes of chloroform and aniline in sealed tubes to a tem- 

 perature of 180 or 190 C., a hard brown crystalline mass is ob- 

 tained, which consists chiefly of the hydrochlorates of aniline and of 

 a new crystalline base. 



To obtain this compound in a state of purity, the brown crystalline 

 mixture formed in the digester-tubes is triturated with a small quan- 

 tity of water, thrown upon a filter and washed with water. The first 

 washings chiefly consist of hydrochlorate of aniline, which base 

 separates in oily globules on addition of potassa to the filtrate. By 

 testing the filtrate in this manner from time to time, it is found that 

 the basic body separated by addition of potassa gradually exhibits a 

 tendency to solidify, and ultimately falls as a yellowish- white crystal- 

 line precipitate. The residue upon the filter is now dissolved in 

 warm (not boiling) water, separated by a filter from a brown resinous 

 insoluble substance, and precipitated by ammonia or potassa. The 

 crystalline precipitate obtained in this manner is washed till free from 



