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The Action of Zinc-ethyl on Iodide of Mercurous Ethyl, 

 Carbonic acid, or ordinary coal-gas, was slowly passed through the 

 neck of a retort ; and when the atmospheric air was displaced, about two 

 ounces of zinc-ethyl, nearly free from ether, and wholly so from iodide 

 of ethyl, was introduced. Iodide of mercurous ethyl was then added, 

 by degrees, through the tubulure, and the whole mixed by agitation. 

 The zinc-ethyl at first dissolves the iodide, but subsequently a cake 

 of iodide of zinc is formed. Distillation was then commenced, the 

 heat being raised by degrees until gaseous products appeared. The 

 distillate, after being well washed, was rectified by the thermometer, 

 and in this manner the radical was obtained in a state of purity. 

 Iodide of mercurous ethyl may be formed so easily by diffused day- 

 light, and its action is so gentle on zinc- ethyl, that its use offers 

 greater conveniences to the operator than are afforded by any of the 

 substances previously mentioned. 



For obvious reasons, a similar choice of materials is recommended 

 for preparing mercuric methyl. 



Action of Zinc-ethyl on Chloride of Lead. 



The close relations which exist between the three metals, lead, 

 mercury, and silver, in their equivalent weights, salts, and other 

 characters, lead the author to anticipate success in forming their 

 ethyl bases. 



The existence of the lead radical might indeed be considered as 

 certain, since various salts of complicated structure have been made 

 known to chemists through the experiments of M. Lb'wig, on the 

 alloy of lead and sodium, under treatment with iodide of ethyl. 



The principal product obtained by him, and the only one appa- 

 rently analysed, had a grouping similar to a sesquichloride. The 

 formula ascribed by him to the radical plumbethylium is Pb 2 (O 4 H 5 ) 3 . 

 I have attempted to form the iodide of this radical by exposing 

 sealed tubes, containing granulated lead and iodide of ethyl, to the 

 sun's rays, but without success. No better result was obtained by 

 substituting bromide of ethyl for the iodide, and no change could 

 be induced even when these tubes were heated strongly with high- 

 pressure steam. 



M. L6 wig's method was not resorted to, from the supposition that 

 the action of zinc-ethyl on a mixture would only give rise to radicals of 



