168 EDITORIAL,. 



as special experiments showed that the heat dissociation of benzyl ben- 

 zoate yielded principally tetraphenyl ethylene, and no symmetrical tetra- 

 phenil butane. To this end I heated two molecular quantities of benzyl 

 chloride with one molecular amount of anhydrous potassium oxalate in 

 a sealed tube from 160° to 200° for four hours. I obtained thus a 28 

 per cent yield of symmetrical tetraphenyl butane melting at 255°. This 

 is the best method thus far suggested for preparing this hydrocarbon. 



Raymond F. Bacon. 



