372 Scientific Intelligence. 



second five moistened dextrin, while the last two contained internal 

 armatures of silver and were filled with oxygen in order to detect 

 the formation of ozone. Two of each of the five tubes were tilled 

 with pure nitrogen, two of each with ordinary air, while the 

 remaining one of each sort was left open to the air. The experi- 

 ments continued from July 29 to October 5, 1876, the mean elec- 

 tric tension being that of 3*5 Daniell cells, though it varied from 

 -+- 60 to — 180 during the two months. In the "ten tubes contain- 

 ien or air, the nitrogen was fixed by the organic Mib-tance 

 -lime decomposed at 300° to 400°, 

 yielding ammonia. The third part considers the importance, in 

 view of the facts above described, of studying in a connected and 

 methodical manner the electric state of the atmosphere, since the 

 " nportant part in 





part, IJerthelot considers the absorption of free hydrogen bv 

 mstanccs. Benz< 



organic matters under the 



250 times its volume of hydrogen, yielding a polymer of C 6 H 8 . 

 i ie oil and acetylene acted similarly; the latter yielding a 

 solid polymer which on'hearing yielded ethylene, crotonylene, and 

 iride. The fifth part treats of the formation and decom- 

 position of binary compounds by the silent discharge. A mixture 

 of one volume nitrogen and three volumes hydrogen yield* three 

 percent of .■ . ,> i ;l is decomposed yieldinii tl ree 



per cent of its constituent gases. Sulphurous oxide yields ten per 

 cent of free oxygen and insoluble sulphur. Carbonous oxide 

 yields Brodie's hypocarbonous oxide C 4 3 . In the sixth part the 

 various forms of apparatus used by the author in these researches, 

 are described.—.!,,/,. Chin,. Phys., V. x, 51, Jan. 1877. g. f. b. 



2. Is Nitrogen oxidized by <)::<>.■,, i„ /.,-< > „ ■ ' .1/ "'/,>/— 

 The statement made by Schonbein in 1849, that ozone muted 

 nitrogen in presence of alkalies to form nitrous compounds, 

 is generally arropted. as furnishing an important basis tor the 

 received theories of nitrification. Bekthelot has examined the 

 «pwi..ii :1 i!,. w . tnkinir care to avoid the causes of error existing 

 < in's experiments, two in number; first the use of lime 



unwashed ozone from the phosphoru-, which contains nitrous com- 

 •oduced in the slow ox id I. Oxygen 



collected over boil, d w it, r w i- o/,„ i,,,|i., • 

 and four liter flasks were three-fourths tilled witl it, th< other 

 fourth being filled with air. Ten c. c. haryta water were placed in 

 each and allowed to remain over night. Although the ozonized 

 L' ozone in a liter, not 

 a hundredth of a milligram of nitrate was formed in the \ 

 Air ozonized by phosphorus and allowed to stand twenty-four 

 hours, and which contained 5-7 milligrams ozone per 



h of a milligram of nitrate; essentially the 

 same result. The author concludes therefore that ozone does not 



