342 



of the sodium, was next introduced, and the tube hermetically sealed. 

 So prepared, the apparatus was afterwards placed in cold water, and 

 left therein for several days, being cautiously shaken up at intervals. 



During this time the following changes were noted in the contents 

 of the tube. The sodium became coated with zinc, and gradually 

 disappeared, whilst the total volume of the solid and liquid contents 

 diminished considerably. The liquid became also viscid, and some- 

 times separated into two portions non-miscible with each other, be- 

 coming, however, homogeneous as the operation advanced. There 

 was no evolution of gas. 



After the lapse of some days the apparatus was found to contain 

 metallic zinc and a clear colourless liquid. The former was weighed 

 and found to correspond to the sodium dissolved, one equivalent of 

 zinc being precipitated for each equivalent of sodium dissolved. 



The clear liquid was made the subject of special examination. It 

 consisted of zinc-ethyl holding in solution a crystalline compound 

 containing sodium, zinc, and ethyl. It was inflammable to the last de- 

 gree, burning explosively, on exposure to the air, with a yellow flame, 

 and leaving a very alkaline residue. Owing to its extreme tendency 

 to become oxidized, its manipulation presented great difficulties. It 

 was requisite to decant it into bulbs filled with dry hydrogen or 

 ccal-gas ; and since heat produced partial decomposition, the bulbs 

 had to be double, so that the heated bulb might not receive the 

 liquid. 



The clear liquid deposited large quantities of beautiful crystals 

 when cooled to zero ; and when gently warmed in a stream of dry 

 hydrogen gas, so long as zinc-ethyl came' off it yielded also a mass 

 of crystals. Some crystals were prepared in the latter manner ; they 

 fused at about 27 C., but once fused they remained fluid at several 

 degrees below that point. Numerous analytical determinations 

 prove that these crystals contain two equivalents of zinc for every 

 equivalent of sodium, and that their formula is 

 Na 1 o Zn 



The reaction by which they are produced may be thus expressed : 



- Zn \ Nal Znl 9 /Na \ Q / Zn 

 6 C 4 H 5 j +Na j =Zn j + 2 UH 5 j > 2 { C 4 



For the body Na C 4 H 5 I propose the name sodium-ethyl, and for 

 the crystals that of double compound of sodium- ethyl with zinc-ethyl. 



