SYNTHETICAL EESEAECHES ON ACIDS OF THE LACTIC SEEIES, 339 



Amylic diethoxalate is isomeric with ethylic ethyl-amylhydroxalate described above. 

 The nature of this isomerism is seen at a glance from the following rational formulae of 

 the two bodies: — 



Ethylic ethyl-amylhydroxalate ir'nTi" 



lEto 

 Amylic diethoxalate Inn 



EtaHo 



'Ayo 



The specific gravities, in the liquid form, and the boiling-points of amylic diethoxalate 

 and its isomer ethylic ethyl-amylhydroxalate, are almost absolutely identical, viz. 



Boiling-point. Specific gravity. 



Ethylic ethyl-amylhydroxalate . 224°-225° C. -9399 at 13° C. 



Amylic diethoxalate .... 225° C. -9322 at 13° C. 



They are, however, at once distinguished by the products of their decomposition with 

 alkalies, ethylic ethyl-amylhydroxalate giving ethylic alcohol and a salt of ethyl-amyl- 

 hydroxalic acid, whilst amylic diethoxalate yields amylic alcohol and a salt of dieth- 

 oxalic acid. 



VII. Action of Zinc upon a Mixture of Amylic Iodide and Amylic Oxalate. 



When equivalent proportions of amylic iodide and amylic oxalate are gently heated 

 in contact with zinc, a brisk reaction soon sets in. After evolving much amylic hydride 

 and amylene, the whole solidifies to a gum-like mass, which, on distillation with water, 

 yields an oily liquid resembling that obtained when ethylic oxalate is employed. We 

 have every reason to believe that the same series of ethers as those described under 

 No. V. are here produced, with the difi'erence that they are amylic instead of ethylic 

 ethers. This difference of base, however, renders the separation of these ethers from 

 each other a very difficult operation, and we have therefore left this reaction compara- 

 tively unexplored. Two of these ethers were, however, collected ; the one boiling at 

 about 280°-290°C. exhibited a composition approaching that oi amylic diamyloxalate, 



C,,H3,03, orl^^y^Ho 



" ^ ' IcOAyo 

 as the following analytical results show : — 



I. -1734 grm. gave -4495 grm. carbonic anhydride and -1781 grm. water. 

 II. -1990 grm. gave -5187 grm. carbonic anhydride and -2068 grm. water. 



