522 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 
distilled at 754 mm. pressure, and afforded a heavy liquid whose 
vapour attacks the eyes and skin violently. The fraction boiling 
between 208-222° was collected apart and weighed 244 grams. 
Yield 70 per cent. 
The residue in the retorts crystallized on cooling. 
By the action of sodium aceto-acetic ester on xylyl bromide it 
was converted into 
2. M-Xylyl-aceto-acetic Ester, CH;CO -CH(CH.C,H,CH;) CO, 
C.H;.—To a solution of 17 gs. sodium in 260 e.c. absolute alcohol, 
100 gs. of aceto-acetic ester were added, and followed imme- 
diately by 120 gs. m-xylylbromide. The mixture became hot, 
and a lively reaction ensued with the separation of sodium bro- 
mide. The mixture became neutral after two hours’ boiling on the 
water-bath under a reflux condenser. After boiling off the alcohol, 
water was added to dissolve the sodium bromide. The layer of 
ester was separated, dried over potassium carbonate and distilled. 
At 36 mm. pressure it boiled at 195° C., condensing as a nearly 
colourless oil, which is scarcely solublein water, easily in alcohol, 
very slowly in dilute alkali, and, shaken with a strong solution of 
caustic soda, gives a crystalline sodium salt. Yield, 67 per cent. 
theory. 
Analysis :— 
0:3676 g. Sbst : 9°2616 g. H,0, 09716 g. CO,. 
City O3. Calex@ paleS-liaie 
Found © 72:1, Ei 7-9: 
The action of nitrous acid on xylylacetoacetic acid can proceed in 
different directions according to the conditions of the experiment. 
In an aqueous solution, it gave i-nitrosoxylylacetone, thus :— 
CH; COCH -C; H, * COOH + HNO, 
= CH;COC: NOH + H,0 + CO, 
OH, 
On the other hand, in an alcoholic solution, the principal product 
of the reaction is isonitrosoxylylacetie acid, whose formation may 
be represented by the following equation :—— 
CH; COCH - ©, H,- COOH + HNO, = C,H, : C : NOH - COOH 
+ CH; COOH, 
3. Lsonitrosoxylylacetic acid, CH; > C, Hy, - CH, - C: NOH: 
COOH.--15 gs. of xylylacetoacetic ester were mixed with a 
