Chemistry and Physics. 269 
hyl. Water decomposes 
this body, yielding oxyd of zinc, dinitro-ethylate of zinc, and ethyl- 
g 
N2CaHs04Zn+ZnCsHs+HO=CiHs, H+N20sHs04Zn+Zn0. 
Dinitro-ethylic acid is monobasic and has the formula N2C4H6O« or 
2CaHsOs+HO, e acid exists only in solution and is easily decom- 
posed ; its salts are soluble in water and alcohol and do not crystallize 
easily. A salt of this acid, when heated with concentrated sulphuric 
- acid at 0°, is decomposed, yielding nitrogen, nitrous oxyd, nitric oxyd, 
and olefiant gas. Zinc-methyl forms precisely analogous compounds. 
: acid may be 2NO,CsHs0+HO. This view would satisfactorily explain 
@ decomposition of the salts by sulphuric acid as well as the formation 
of the ner a which last would be represented by the equation 
CsHs .Zn-+-2N02=2N0.0sHs0+2n0. w. @] 
ll. Action of sulphuric acid upon the nitriles and amids,—Buoxton 
and Hormanw have studied the action of sulphuric acid upon the amids 
HC2N-}HO-[H2820s=200-++\ry, S20s, 
k it might be expected that We should also have the reaction expressed by 
the equation 
O2HsC2N-} 2H0-+H2820s=200-+N ir, Calta) ¢ 820*- 
Experiment however did not confirm the expectation but led to the dis- 
of s : ; : 
. tri j a ; ; 
and the authors - the reaction as divided into two phases which 
may be explained by the following equations :—~ 
