ORGANIC BODIES CONTAINING METALS. 
431 
Hence, according to the well-known law of diffusion, the specific gravity of the gas 
must be ' 5413 . 
The gas is therefore hydride of methyl (light carburetted hydrogen), 1 vol. of which 
consumes 2 vols. oxygen and generates 1 vol. carbonic acid, and the specific gravity 
of which is *5528, numbers which correspond almost exactly with those obtained by 
experiment. 
II. A glass jar, graduated in cubic centimetres, was filled with recently boiled di- 
stilled water, to which about twenty drops of sulphuric acid had been added, and in- 
verted in a shallow glass dish containing the same liquid ; the other bulb was then 
introduced into the inverted jar, and its capillary extremity broken off against the 
side of the vessel ; the water now slowly gained access to the liquid in the bulb and 
steady decomposition ensued, the oxide of zinc dissolving as fast as formed, in the 
dilute sulphuric acid, and the hydride of methyl collecting in the inverted jar. When 
the decomposition was quite complete, the volume of gas was read off with the usual 
corrections for temperature and pressure, the graduated jar rinsed out and removed, 
and the solution of sulphate of zinc in the glass dish, after being evaporated to a 
smaller bulk, was treated with carbonate of potash and the zinc precipitated as basic 
carbonate, and weighed as oxide with the usual precautions : the following results 
were obtained : — 
•3109 grm. gave '2660 grm. oxide of zinc, and 138'15 cubic centimetres dry hydride 
of methyl, at 0°C. and 760 mm. pressure, equivalent to *0930 grm. 
These numbers agree sufficiently with those calculated from the formula 
C2 H3 Zn, 
when we consider that every trace of oxygen, which gained admission to the ethereal 
fluid before its decomposition, would diminish the volume of hydride of methyl, which 
would also be liable to further diminution, from the solvent action of the fluid over 
which it was determined : — 
Calculated. 
A 
Found. 
1 equiv. of Methyl . . . 
f 
. 15 
31-56 
29-91 
1 equiv. of Zinc .... 
. 32*52 
68-44 
68-67 
47-52 
100-00 
98-58 
This compound, for which I propose the name Zincmethylium, possesses the fol- 
lowing properties : — It is a colourless, transparent and very mobile liquid, refracting 
light strongly, and possessing a peculiar penetrating and insupportable odour ; it is 
very volatile, but 1 have not yet been able to determine its boiling-point with accu- 
racy. 
Zincmethylium combines directly with oxygen, chlorine, iodine, &c., forming some- 
what unstable compounds, a description of which I reserve for a future communica- 
tion. Its affinity for oxygen is even more intense than that of potassium ; in contact 
with atmospheric air it instantaneously ignites, burning with a beautiful greenish- 
blue flame, and forming white clouds of oxide of zinc ; in contact with pure oxygen it 
3 K 
MDCCCLII. 
