68 Scientific Intelligence. 



place in two stages, hypochlorous or hypoiodous acid being first 

 produced. When a dilute instead of a concentrated solution of 

 iodine is employed, no separation of nitrogen iodide occurs and 

 the solution contains both ammonium iodide and hypoiodous 

 acid HIO ; this latter substance being readily detected by means 

 of its reaction with potassium iodide. As the strength of the 

 iodine solution is increased, nitrogen iodide begins to be depos- 

 ited its formation taking place at the expense of the hypoiodous 

 acid. The reactions are: NH 3 + I + H = NH 4 I + HIO, and 

 NH 3 + (HIO) 3 =NI 3 + (H„0) 3 . The author has shown that a sim- 

 ilar explanation holds with reference to nitrogen chloride. The 

 fact that he proves the presence of hypoiodous acid in a solution 

 of ammonia, is interesting in view of the basic properties of this 

 substance as recently established by Victor Meyer.— Ber. Berl. 

 Chem. Ges., xxvii, 1012, April, 1894. g. f. b. 



6. On the Preparation of Phosphorus by the Action of Alu- 

 minum upon the Phosphates. —It has been observed by Rossel 

 and Frank that on heating sodium tnetaphosphate with aluminum 

 in a current of hydrogen, 28 to 31 per cent of the phosphorus dis- 

 tills over, leaving a residue consisting of alumina, sodium alumi- 

 nate and aluminum phosphide. The same is true of the phos- 

 phates of calcium and magnesium ; all of them yielding phospho- 

 rus when heated with aluminum. When aluminum is heated in 

 the vapor of phosphorus, aluminum phosphide A1 3 P 5 is formed. 

 It is obtained as a gray powder by continuing the heat until the 

 excess of phosphorus is drive off. If silica be added to the mix- 

 ture of phosphate and aluminum the whole of the phosphorus 

 may be obtained : 



(Ca(PO 3 ) 2 ) 3 + Al 10 + (SiO 2 ) s =(CaSiO 3 ) 3 + (Al 2 O 3 ) 6 + (P 2 )s- 



On heating a mixture of calcium metaphosphate and calcium sul- 

 phate with aluminum a violent explosion took place which the 

 authors believe to be due to the sulphate ; since barium sulphate 

 or calcium sulphate acts with explosive violence when heated with 

 aluminum setting free sulphur. — Ber. Berl. Chem. Ges., xxvii, 52, 

 January, 1894. G. f. b. 



7. On the Production artificially of the Diamond. — The exper- 

 iments of Moissak upon the production of the diamond in his 

 electric furnace have been continued. In order to cool the melted 

 iron, it is poured into melted lead. Small globules of the iron 

 rise to the surface and are cooled and solidified before reaching it. 

 When these globules are treated with acids in the usual way the 

 yield of diamonds is somewhat better and they are very limpid, 

 have no black enclosures and some of them show distinct crystalli- 

 zation. In many cases they also show parallel striae and impres- 

 sions of cubes similar to those seen on native diamonds. Two 

 specimens thus prepared broke spontaneously after a time. One 

 of them showed distinctly curved faces. Some of these diamonds 

 show smooth and brilliant surfaces while others have a granular 

 surface. In some cases they were found to be trapezohedrons 



