J 



Geology, 427 



Glyoxal may be obtained by decomposing tbe corresponding baryta salt 

 by sulphuric^acid ; it affords an amorphous, transparent, faintly yellow 

 mass^ which is readily soluble in water, alcohol, and other. Its aqueous 

 solution reduces silver from the nitrate: its solution in ether gives a 

 white precipitate with ammonia. Caustic alkalies convert glyoxal into 

 glycolic acid, even in the coir], and xory easily on heating. Thus the j-eac- 

 tion with lime is expressed by tlie equation 



C4H20i4-CaO . HO— C4n305, CaO. 



Evaporated on a water-bath witli a little very dilute nitric acid, glj^oxal 

 yields glyoxylic acid, C4H-206 : much nitric acid converts this into oxalic 

 acid, C4II2O8. The author regards glyoxal as the aldehyd of the biacid 

 alcohol glycol, C4H604=zC4H402-f2HO. While Ijowever acetic aldehyd 

 combines with only one equivalent of an alkaline bisulphite and yields 

 on oxydation a monobasic acid, glyoxal combines with two equivalents of 

 a bisulphite and yields on oxydation two bibasic acids. In conclusion 

 the author points out the relations between glyoxal and certain organic 

 acids. — Ann. der Ckemie u. Fharm,, cii, 20. 



10. On the eqmvalenfs of Nickel and Cobalt, — Schxetder has deter- 

 mined the equivalents of nickel and cobalt by analyses of their oxalates, 

 both carbon and metallic oxyd being directly determined. The author 

 found for nickel as the mean of fnur experiments the equivalent 29025, 

 and for cobalt 30-003. These numbers may of course be taken as exactly 

 29 and 30, so that iron, nickel and cobalt form an ascending scale of 

 equivalents, 28, 29, 30. — Poy^. Ann,^ ci, 387. w. a. 



II. GEOLOGY. 



1. Geological Report of the Midland Counties of North Carolina; \>j 

 E. EMiiONS, illustrated with engravings, pp.350, 1856. — Besides other 

 matter, this Report contains the results of Dr. Emmons's Survey of the 

 Coal Fields of North Carolina and of the sandstones associated with them* 

 Of these, which have attracted much attention in former years, \h<i fol- 

 lowing brief account is presented from the new light which Las been shed 

 upon both the coal fields and the sandstones. 



The range of sandstones is well known to extend from the north part 

 of Massachusetts on Connecticut River southward to Long Island Sound; 



to begin again on the southern part of the Hudson and continue into 

 New Jersey, and, pursuing a course west of south, to appear in the 



ania, Virginia, and North Carolina even into the boi 



bour>ds 



States of Pennsylvani 



of South Carolina, though with interruptions. At the north this sei'ies was 

 formerly called the New Red Sandstone, supposed to be geologically next 

 above the Coal Formation, and a part of the Triassic. On the continent 

 of Europe, tbe Trias is divided into three parts, the upper called the 

 Keuper, the middle the Muschelkalk, and the lower the Bunter Sandstein. 

 The MuscheJkalk is wanting in England and in oot country ; the other 

 two are admitted in the geology of England, and l>r. Emmons mainjt,ains 

 the existence of both in North Carolina and at the north, as the Upper 

 and the Lower Sandstones, separated by their peculiar conglomerates 

 and a partial unconformability. If this is sustained, the Richmond coal 

 field, and also that of N, Carolina, must be placed, not in the Lias, or 



