214 Scientific Intelligence. 
most curious fact observed in this research—benzyl and cinnamyl 
alcohols have the same Se rate as allyl alcohol in spite of the 
wide differences between the aromatic compounds and those of 
i 0 
except their alcoholic nature: it follows from these facts that new 
alcohols can easily be referred to their proper class by determin- 
ing their initial rate of etherification. Menschutkin’s somewhat 
len ngthy discussion of the relative rate, i. e., the rate referred to 
the limit seems rather unnecessary, as it i s of course a mere fune- 
tion of the limit, but it is not worth while to dwell on the single 
and of valuable suggestions for ~~ research, notably those in 
regard to the bearing of isomerism on the rate ‘and limit, which it 
is to be hoped he will follow out “thorongly, as soon as he has 
finished the tertiary alcohols annem COH) with which he is 
now at work.— Ber. Deutsch. Chem. Gres., x, 1728, 1898. L. Js 
9. Solid Hi Aad giabe Density of “iguit | Ox “ygen.— W ith the ap- 
paratus described i e last number of this Journal, M. Prcrer 
has succeeded in ech liquefying and solidifying hydrogen, and 
appearance, and destecides ah the opinion long since expressed by 
Dumas, that hydrogen is a gaseous metal. M. Pictet prepared 
M. 
density of chee oxygen based on many factors, but gy on the 
im i 
tube was not quite filled, the agreement is still closer. This 
density is about one-half of Jet of sulphur, and the result is re- 
umes of oxygen and sulphur must be equal when in the same state 
of aggregation. As the atomic weight of oxygen is one-half of 
that of sulphur, Dumas po concluded that the densities of the 
two substances w o each other the same ratio. 
In Nature for Jan. 31 ‘aay be seen a large wood-eut represen- 
