August 24, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



241 



lin and his eo-workers, the authors have 

 shown that potassium amide acts upon 

 metallic zinc and upon zinc amide in liquid 

 ammonia in a manner analogous to the 

 well-known action of potassium hydroxide 

 on metallic zinc and zinc hydroxide in 

 aqueous solution. The ammono-potassium 

 zineate, Zn(NHK)2, analogous to the oxy- 

 gen compound formed in aqueous solution, 

 has been prepared. Other compounds be- 

 longing to this class undoubtedly exist, but 

 have not yet been satisfactorily isolated. 



Liquid Methylamine as a Solvent: H. D. 



GiBBS. 



A consideration of the many analogies 

 between water and liquid ammonia as elec- 

 trolytic solvents has led to a study of 

 methylamine which, formally related to 

 ammonia as methyl alcohol is related to 

 water, might be expected to exhibit inter- 

 esting properties. It has been found to 

 possess very wide solvent power; it unites 

 with many inorganic salts and organic 

 compounds as methylamine of crystalliza- 

 tion, and it gives solutions with certain 

 salts which exhibit unique conductivity 

 curves. 



Hydronitric Acid: L. M. Dennis and 

 . Helen Isham. 



Anhydrous hydronitric (HN3) was pre- 

 pared by treating crystalline KN, with 

 sulphuric acid (2:1), The dried gas was 

 solidified by means of liquid air. Its melt- 

 ing-point is — 80°, The boiling-point of 

 the liquefied acid is 37°. The determina- 

 tion of the vapor density by the Victor 

 Meyer method showed that at a tempera- 

 ture about 25° above its boiling-point the 

 acid possesses the molecular formula HNg. 

 Several new salts of the acid were prepared 

 and studied. The reaction between dry 

 hydronitric acid and dry hydrochloric acid 

 was carefully examined and found to pro- 

 ceed according to the equation 



3HN3 + HCl = NH,C1 -f 4N2. 



INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY. 



J. D. Pennock, Chairman. 



Notes on the Use of Peat: Cullen W. 



Parmelee. 



A restatement of some phases of the peat 

 industry of especial interest to the agricul- 

 tural chemist with particular reference to 

 the use of it as a filler in fertilizers. The 

 average nitrogen of 123 samples of New 

 Jersey peats analyzed in the writer's labo- 

 ratory is reported as 1.75 per cent, 



A Review of the American Cement Manu- 

 facture: E, K, Meade, 



Experiments made at Sault Ste. Marie, 

 Ont., under the Auspices of the Canadian 

 Government, in the Smelting of Iron 

 Ores hy the Electrothermic Process: Dr. 

 Eugene Haanel, 



In this paper Dr. Haanel points out the 

 importance of the electric smelting process, 

 especially for countries possessing water- 

 powers and ore deposits, but lacking coal 

 for metallurgical use, and gives a descrip- 

 tion of the plant erected and experiments 

 conducted at Sault Ste, Marie, with a view 

 of ascertaining several important items, 

 which could not be obtained by the com- 

 mission previously appointed by the Ca- 

 nadian government, (The report of this 

 commission was published in 1904 by the 

 Mines Branch of the Interior Department, 

 Ottawa,) 



The following is a summary of the re- 

 sults of the experiments: (1) Magnetite 

 can be as economically smelted by the 

 electro-thermic process as hematite. (2) 

 Ores of comparatively high sulphur con- 

 tent can be made into pig iron containing 

 only a few thousandths of a per cent, of 

 sulphur. (3) The silicon content can be 

 varied as required for the class of pig to 

 be produced. (4) Charcoal which can be 

 cheaply produced from mill refuse or wood 

 which could not otherwise be utilized and 

 peat-coke can be substituted for coke as re- 



