297 



special reactions. With the alkalies, the brominetted Dutch liquid 

 behaves as a double salt of two monatoxnic compounds, 



(C 4 H 3 )'Br + HBr. 



With silver-salts, with aniline, &c., it exhibits the deportment of 



a true biatomic compound, 



(C 4 HJBr 2 . 



With the tertiary amines and phosphines, lastly, we find that the 

 elements of the same body, in accordance with the requirement of 

 the case, arrange themselves into one monatomic compound, the 

 constitution of which, if we simply consider the function which it 

 performs under these special circumstances, might be represented by 

 the formula 



(C 4 H 4 Br)'Br. 



It is obvious that the three formulae, 



(C 4 H 3 )'Br,HBr, 

 (C 4 H 4 )"Br 2 and 

 (C 4 H 4 Br)'Br, 



represent the constitution of this body with reference to certain 

 special conditions; the absolute arrangement of the molecules we 

 ignore altogether, and it is doubtful whether it will ever be accessible 

 to experiment. 



IX. "Researches on the Action of Ammonia on Glyoxal." 

 By Dr. H. DEBUS. Communicated by Dr. TYNDALL. 

 Received May 21, 1858. 



(Abstract.) 



If alcohol be slowly oxidized by nitric acid at ordinary tempera- 

 tures, besides other substances, glyoxal, C 2 H 2 O 2 , and glyoxylic acid, 

 C 2 H 4 O 4 *, are formed. 



I have continued the investigation of these substances, and beg 

 to lay before the Royal Society some of the more interesting results. 



Glyoxal, of the consistency of ordinary syrup, is mixed with about 

 three times its bulk of strong ammonia, and the mixture kept for 

 twenty minutes at a temperature from 60 to 80 C. The liquid 

 * C = 12, H = l, = 16. Phil. Mag. Nov. 1856, and Jan. 1857. 



