44 



Mr. Simpson — Acids from the Cyanides [Dec. 10, 



of which a battery of nine Ley den jars was introduced. The Ley den jars 

 are arranged in three batteries of three jars each, and the batteries connected 

 in series. 



The relative intensities and distinctive characters of the hnes are 

 represented by figures and letters, placed against the numbers in the 

 Tables. 



The spectrum, which extends from a to H, is divided, and forms two 

 maps. The air- spectrum and the principal solar hnes are placed at the 

 top of each map, and below these the spectra of the following metals : — 

 Sodium, potassium, calcium, barium, strontium, manganese, thalUum, 

 silver, tellurium, tin, iron, cadmium, antimony, gold, bismuth, mercury, 

 cobalt, arsenic, lead, zinc, chromium, osmium, palladium, and platinum. 



The lines of the air-spectrum ar^ referred to the components of air to 

 which they severally belong. An unexpected result was observed: two 

 strong lines of the air-spectrum, one of them a double line, were seen to be 

 common to the spectra of oxygen and nitrogen. These gases were obtained 

 from diiferent sources with identical results. The strong red line of the 

 air-spectrum is shown to be due to the presence of aqueous vapour, and to 

 coincide with the line of hydrogen. The carbonic acid in the air is not 

 revealed by spectrum analysis. 



Three pairs of lines and one band of haze are given in the sodium spec- 

 trum in addition to the double D line. As these might be due to impu- 

 rities of the commercial sodium employed, the observation was confirmed 

 by an amalgam of sodium prepared by the voltaic method from pure 

 chloride of sodium. Two of these pairs of lines have been recognized in 

 the spectrum of a saturated solution of pure nitrate of soda. 



The two stronger pairs appear to agree in position with solar Hnes having 

 the following numbers in Kirchhoff's scale :— 864*4 and 867*1, and 1150*2 

 and 1154*2. 



The spectrum from electrodes of potassium contains many new lines. 

 For the spectra of calcium, lithium, and strontium, metallic calcium, 

 lithium, and strontium were employed. 



Barium was mapped from an amalgam of barium prepared by electricity 

 from chloride of barium. 



The following metals were employed in the form of electro-deposits upon 

 platinum : — manganese, silver, tin, iron, cadmium, antimony, bismuth, 

 cobalt, lead, zinc, and chromium. Care was taken that the other metals 

 should be reliable for purity. 



II. " On the Acids derivable from the Cyanides of the Oxy-radicals 

 of the Di- and Tri-atomic Alcohols.'^ By Maxwell Simpson, 

 A.B., M.B., r.R.S. Received November 7, 1863. 



. From every glycol it is possible to obtain two radicals — one monatomic, 

 the other diatomic. From every glycerine it is possible to obtain three 



