416 Scientific Intelligence. 
nearly. Thus it is conceivable that at one temperature a salt 
may crystallize with two, and at another with four atoms of 
water, the whole quantity of water being in each case diatomic, 
but exerting different intensities of affinity. The same princi- 
ple will apply to ammonia and other compounds. 
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 
p 2: CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS. 
1. On a new class of homologues of cyanhydric acid.—Prof. A. 
W. Hormann has communicated to the Academy of Sciences a very 
interesting and important memoir on a class of cyanids isomeri¢ 
€MH+2H,0—€H,90+NH,. 
Under the same circumstances the cyanids of the alcohol-radicals 
may yield one or the other of two different reactions. Thus in the 
case of cyanid of methyl we might have 
le €N€H,+2H,0— NH 
- Cyanid of cia Sunt pf fon an pte 6 
2. €N€H.+2H.0— NH,€H 
Cyantd of methyl.” - it ke te jidieae 
together under pressure chlorhydric and cyanhydric acids are 
formed the reaction being expressed by the equation 
liquid is found which passes over, on distilling the mixture, mix rt 
with aniline. The aniline is removed by oxalic acid and the . 
oes by caustic potash and distilled. It is a liquid which is gress 
. ; gn: 
erefore isomeric with benzonitrile. The formation of 
HCl. 
Dr. Hofmann calls this substance cyanid of phenyl; its physical 
properties are entirely different from aaa of benzonitrile; It or : 
_ Garectly with metallic eyanids, even with cyanid of silver, and PY 
, taking up water forms aniline and formic acid— eee 
a €,H,.N+2H,0=—6,H,H,N+€H,0,- 
