On the Electric Conducting Power ofCopver and its Alloys. 545" 



shows the same properties. The compounds with acids crystallize 

 well, and if dissolved in a large quantity of water decompose. They 

 do not possess the fluorescence when in their acid solution. 



The ether-like compounds of oxy-terephthalamic acid are obtained 

 by acting upon the corresponding ethers of the nitro-tcrephthalic 

 acid with reducing agents. The methylic ether is a beautiful cry- 

 stalline substance, readily soluble in warm alcohol, but much less 

 soluble in any of the solvents than nitro-terephthalate of methyle. 

 The ethylic ether crystallizes in large crystals with an appearance 

 resembling those of nitrate of uranium. The solutions of this ether 

 possess the fluorescent property in the highest degree. Oxy-tere- 

 phthalamate of methyle and ethyle combine with acids and form well- 

 defined salts. Oxy-terephthalamic acid, as well as its ether, are 

 readily acted upon by nitrous acid, this reaction giving rise to a 

 number of new derivatives, which vary in their nature according to 

 the condition in which the reaction takes place. 



M. Griess has lately made us acquainted with a new class of 

 remarkable substances which are obtained by the action of nitrous 

 acid on a certain class of nitrogenous bodies. The several derivatives 

 he obtained by this reaction from oxy-benzamic acid have their repre- 

 sentatives in the bibasic terephthalyle series, and are obtained with the 

 utmost facility. On acting with nitrous acid upon an aqueous solution 

 of the oxy-terephthalamic acid instead of an alcoholic solution, as is 

 employed in Griess's reaction, this substance is readily decomposed, 

 nitrogen is given off in large quantities, and there gradually separates 

 a whitish substance which is oxy-terephthalic acid, C 3 IF O 5 . This 

 acid is a substance of great interest, and its preparation offering much 

 less difficulty than the analogous oxy-acids of the aromatic series, it 

 affords an opportunity of studying to a fuller extent the nature of this 

 class of acids, especially as it may be expected that the history of this 

 acid will throw some light on the law of polybasicity. Oxy-tere- 

 phthalic acid forms beautiful crystalline salts, which are less soluble 

 than the corresponding terephthalates. The neutral ethers are liquid. 



The chloride of oxy-terephthalyle is likewise a liquid readily decom- 

 posed by water and alcohols. 



" Notes on the Generative Organs, and on the Formation of the 

 Egg in the Annulosa." — Part I. By John Lubbock, Esq., F.R.S. 



February 28. — Major-General Sabine, R.A., Treasurer and Vice- 

 President, in the Chair. 

 The following communications were read : — 

 "Tables of the "Weights of the Human Body and the Internal 

 Organs in the Sane and Insane of both Sexes at various Ages." By 

 Robert Boyd, M.D., F.R.C.P. 



" On the Electric Conducting Power of Copper and its Allovs." 

 By A. Matthiessen, Ph.D. 



The difference in the numerical results obtained by Prof. W. 

 Thomson (Proceedings of Roy. Soc. 1860, x. p. 300), and those by 

 Dr. Holzmann and myself (Phil. Trans. 18G0), on the conducting 

 power of copper and its alloys, made it somewhat necessary to re- 



