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Proceedings of Societies, 



surface of the liquid in the casks in which it is imported into this 

 country and the hydrocarbons were shown by eudiometrical analysis 

 to have the composition of a mixture in nearly equal proportions 

 of the hydrides of ethyl and propyl. 



The first portions of incondensible gas evolved on warming the 

 most volatile product of the distillation of petroleum on a manufac- 

 turing scale were also found to contain a mixture of these hydrides, 

 while portions of gas collected at a later period of the operation 

 approached more closely to the composition of pure hydride of 

 propyl, or were mixtures of the hydrides of propyl and butyl ; the 

 last gas collected being nearly pure hydride of butyl. 



The liquid condensed by a mixture of ice and salt during the 

 collection of these gases gave, upon redistillation, a considerable 

 portion boiling between 0° and 4° Cent. ; this, as well as that which 

 passed over as high as 6° Cent., was shown by analysis to be nearly 

 pure hydride of butyl having the composition C4H9, H. 



This liquid has a specific gravity of 0*600 at 0° Cent. ; it is con- 

 sequently the lightest liquid known. Its vapour density was by 

 experiment found to be 2"11. It is colourless, possesses a sweet, 

 agreeable smell, is soluble in alcohol and ether, but not in water. 

 Alcohol of 98 per cent, dissolves between 11 and 12 times its volume 

 of the gas at 21° Cent. The liquid and the gas are not preceptibly 

 afi'ected by sulphuric or nitric acid, nor by bromine ; mixed with 

 twice its volume of chlorine in diffuse daylight, the gas is con- 

 verted into liquid chloride of butyl, while the original three volumes 

 become condensed into two volumes of hydrochloric acid. 



3. — On the Action of Terchloride of Phosphorus on Aniline. 

 By Magnus M. Tait, F.C.S. 



More than a year since my attention was directed to a statement of 

 Hofmann's, that the action of terchloride of phosphorus on aniline 

 yielded a white substance of crystalline character, as the investiga- 

 tion of this compound so produced seemed likely to be of interest, 

 I began its examination, but circumstances prevented me from 

 completing it at that time. The publication of Schiff's papers, 

 however, on the metal- anilides again drew my notice to the subject, 

 and I considered it a duty to myself to publish the results of my 

 experiments, more especially as the reaction which forms the sub- 

 ject of this paper appears to have escaped the attention of that 

 chemist. 



Terchloride of phosphorus was added, drop by drop, to the ani- 

 line, which required to be kept cool by ice, as the reaction tends to 

 be of a rather violent character, great heat being produced. In a 

 short time the whole solidified into a soft granular mass, which dis- 

 solved readily in water, alcohol, and ether. The mass was dissolved 

 in hot water, and, on cooling, the excess of aniline rose to the sur- 

 face as an oily layer, and was separated by passing it through a 

 moistened filter. The watery solution was evaporated at ordinary 

 temperatures over sulphuric acid, and when it had reached a syrupy 



