198 Messrs. Frankland and Duppa Synthetical [April 27, 



Amylic leucate is a colourless, transparent, and slightly oily liquid, 

 possessing a fragrant odour of a somewhat amylic character. It is insoluble 

 in water, but miscible in all proportions with alcohol and ether. Its 

 specific gravity is '93227 at 13 C. It boils constantly at 225 C., and its 

 vapour has a density of 6'74 (theoretical 6*97). 



The boiling-point and specific gravity, in the liquid form, of amylic leu- 

 cate and its isomer, ethylic amylethoxalate, are almost absolutely identical. 

 Leucate of amyl is readily decomposed by either aqueous or alcoholic 

 solutions of the alkalies, or by baryta-water, yielding amylic alcohol and a 

 leucate of the base. 



No. VII. Action of Zinc upon a mixture of Amyl Oxalate and Amyl 



Iodide. 



When equivalent proportions of the amyl iodide and amyl oxalate are 

 heated gently in contact with zinc, a brisk reaction soon sets in. After 

 evolving much hydride of amyl and amylene, the whole solidifies to a 

 gum-like mass, which, on distillation with water, yields an oily liquid 

 resembling that obtained when ethyl oxalate is employed. We have every 

 reason to believe that the same series of ethers as those described in note 

 No. V. are here produced, with the difference that they are amylic, 

 instead of ethylic ethers. This difference of base, however, renders it 

 impossible successfully to separate these ethers from each other, their 

 boiling-points being so high as to determine decomposition when their 

 distillation is attempted. We might, it is true, have decomposed the 

 mixed ethers with solution of baryta, and thus have obtained the mixed 

 acids, but the task of disentangling the latter appeared also so hopeless, 

 that we have not attempted it. 



IV. " Notes of Synthetical Researches on Ethers. No. I. Synthesis 

 of Butyric and Caproic Ethers from Acetic Ether." By EDWARD 

 FRANKLAND, F.R.S., and B. F. DUPPA, Esq. Received April 5, 

 1865. 



For some time past we have been engaged in the study of the consecutive 

 action of sodium and the iodides of methyl and ethyl upon acetic ether. 

 When iodide of methyl is used, the chief products of the reaction are two 

 ethereal bodies possessing respectively formulae, which we will provisionally 

 write as follows : 



C 0"! CO") 



C 4 H 7 l0 2 and C 5 H 9 lO 2 . 



C.H.J C 2 H 5 J 



These bodies are decomposed,"even in the cold, by baryta-water, yielding 

 barium carbonate, alcohol, and two new ethereal liquids having formulae 

 which, without expressing any opinion as to their nature or constitution, 

 may be thus written : 



