M. Caventou on Crotonylene, "" 5>43 



provided with a platinum jet, hydrogen gas was liberated, which 

 was found to produce no effect on the spectroscope. A very 

 minute quantity of phosphorus was then introduced, by which 

 the pale green flame was immediately produced, and on examin- 

 ing this in the spectroscope two magnificent green lines were 

 seen on the left of the sodium, and then a third less visible 

 between the two first and that of the sodium. The same results 

 were obtained with red phosphorus, phosphorous and hypophos- 

 phorous acids. The authors took ordinary iron wire, which is 

 considered to contain no phosphorus, and having treated it in 

 the above manner, they obtained the characteristic reaction. 

 Chemically pure iron prepared from the oxalate gave a perfectly 

 colourless flame. 



Phosphide of iron, when treated by acid, does not disengage 

 hydrogen ; but if this is introduced into a flask in which hy- 

 drogen is being disengaged, the flame with its characteristic 

 reaction may be obtained. The case of antimoniuret of iron is 

 quite analogous : it does not disengage hydrogen when treated 

 with acids, but in contact with nascent hydrogen it gives off a 

 gas rich in antimony. 



Sawitzsch, by the action of amylate of soda on bromide of 

 vinyle, obtained the hydrocarbon G 3 H 4 , allylene*. Caventou f, 

 by applying this reaction to the monobrominated butylene, 

 C 4 H 7 Br, has obtained a new member of the allylene series, 

 € 4 H 6 . When brominated butylene is treated with ethylate of 

 soda at the temperature of boiling water, bromide of sodium is 

 formed along with alcohol and the new hydrocarbon. The reac- 

 tion is as follows : — 



€ 4 H 7 Br + G ' W\ = Na Br + C 2 H 6 O 4 + € 4 H 6 . 



1Na J Newhydro- 



Brominated Sodium- carbon, 



butylene. alcohol. 



This body is liquid below 15°, and it volatilizes with rapidity if 

 it is not kept in ice. It has a powerful, slightly alliaceous odour ; 

 it boils at 18°, and distils between 18° and 24°. This new body 

 Caventou names wotonylene, to show its relations to crotonic 

 acid, C 4 H 6 '0 2 , which may be considered as a product of the 

 oxidation of crotonylene. When this hydrocarbon is treated 

 with bromine it enters into combination with it, forming the 

 compound € 4 H 6 Br 2 ; and by the continued action of excess of 

 bromine this appears to yield another bromide, € 4 H G Br 4 . 



Friedel and Crafts J communicate the result of some experi- 



* Phil. Mag. vol. xxi.p. 358. f Comptes Rendus, April 13, 1863. 

 X Ibid. March 30, 1863. 



202 



