430 [Feb. 12, 



glyoxylic acid are described which still more intimately connect this 

 body with the class of the aldehydes, so as to leave no doubt as to 

 its position in the system of organic substances. 



Glyoxylates and sulphites have a strong tendency to combine. 

 Glyoxylic acid expels one-half only of the sulphurous acid from a 

 given quantity of sulphite of soda, and forms the substance repre- 

 sented by the formula NaHSO 3 + C 2 HNaO 3 ; an excess of sul- 

 phurous acid, on the other hand, expels one-half of the acid in 

 glyoxylate of lime, producing Ca H S O 3 + C 2 H Ca O 3 . These salts 

 crystallize well and are very stable. 



Sulphuretted hydrogen and glyoxylate of lime exchange sulphur 

 and oxygen, water and a new compound, 



C 4 H 2 Ca*}+3H 2 0, 



being the result. The sulphur acid in the latter salt seems to bear 

 to glyoxylic acid a relation similar to that in which triacetic acid 

 stands to acetic acid. Glyoxylic acid itself is decomposed by sul- 

 phuretted hydrogen, a new crystallizable acid being produced. 



Ammonia forms definite compounds with glyoxylates. The follow- 

 ing of them were investigated : two bodies formed from NH 3 and 

 glyoxylate of lime, 



3(C 2 HCa0 3 ), 2NH 3 , and 3(C 2 HCaO 3 ), 2NH 3 + H 2 O, 



one silver and one lead compound. These derivatives are very un- 

 stable, but the products of their decomposition could not be obtained 

 in a pure state. 



Hydrogen in statu nascendi combines with glyoxylic acid and con- 

 verts it into glycolic acid, 



C 2 H 2 3 + H 2 = C^O, 



Glycolic acid. 



This transformation was brought about by dissolving zinc in dilute 

 glyoxylic acid. 



Glycolic acid, glyoxylic acid, and oxalic acid therefore possess, 

 as regards composition and some other essential properties, the same 

 connexion as ethylic alcohol, acetic aldehyde, and acetic acid. The 

 differences between the two series arise from the greater number of 

 oxygen-atoms in the molecules of the first three bodies. 



