96 Correspondence of J. Nickles. 
when put into a close vessel and raised to a temperature of 50° — 
The action is more slow if ether is used in place of water. Ex- 
posure to strong sunlight will hasten the solution. 
Some new facts concerning amalgamation.—tIn vol. xli, p. 225 
of this Journal, Prof. Silliman has described some properties of — 
the magnetic amalgam, composed of mercury and sodium. 
following experiment readily shows the great difference between 
the action of mercury and that of sodium amalgam. 
ake a square of glass, to which apply side by side two ~ 
leaves of beaten gold. Ifa drop of ordinary mercury be placed — 
on one of these leaves, it adheres without sensibly increasing in 
moistened it would retain all its elasticity. I leave the question — 
to those who are fortunate enough to possess this metal so rare, 
and so difficult to obtain in a metallic mass. 
Acetylene, C4 H2 
Di-acetylene, - § - . Cs Ht —2C4H? 
Tri-acetylene or benzine, —- C12H6& —3C*H? 
Tetracetylene or styrolene, - ©16H® —4C4H? 
ase e eee reserve ce bn sees 
Retene, = - - * 2 C36 18—9C4H? 
This table is the result of actual experiment and not of theore 
ical speculation. 
* J. Nicklés, On the Permeability of Metals to Mercury, [2], xv, 107. 
+ A sheet of platinum that has been for four months in contact with 
of sodium still preserves all its elasticity. 
