172 
DE. E. EEANKLAND ON A NEW SEEIES OE 
I. 
Millims. Temp. 
Pressure of gas used (dry) 225-3 at 13°-9 C. 
Pressure after action of anhydrous sulphuric acid (dry) . . 223-9 at 13°-9 C. 
IL 
Pressure of gas used (dry) 23-7 at 14°-7 C. 
Pressure after addition of oxygen (dry) 253-9 at 14°-7 C. 
Pressure after explosion (dry) 195-6 at 14°-7 C. 
Pressure after absorption of carbonic acid (dry) . . . . 147-7 at 14°-7 C. 
No. I. proves the absence of members of the olefiant gas family. No. II. proves that 
the gas has the composition and condensation of hydride of ethyl, one volume of -which 
consumes on combustion 3-5 volumes of oxygen, and generates twice its volume of 
carbonic acid ; the following being the experimental numbers : — 
Yol. of combustible gas. Yol. of oxygen consumed. Yol. of carbonic acid generated. 
23-7 : 82-5 : 47-9 
1 : 3-48 ; 2-01 
If boric ethide be heated with water to 99° C. for several hours, it also appears to 
sufier an analogous decomposition, although with extreme slo-vvness ; even with hydro- 
chloric acid, the action is so tedious that I have not been able to prepare a sufiicient 
quantity of boric chlorodiethide (B(C 4 ll 5 ) 2 Cl) to examine its properties. In the cold, a 
strong solution of hydrofluoric acid has no action upon boric ethide, which also suffers 
scarcely any change by being heated to 99° C. for four hours with concentrated sulphuric 
acid. Gently heated for fourteen days with sodium in a sealed tube, boric ethide 
underwent no visible change. 
Ammonia-Boric Ethide. 
If a few drops of boric ethide be passed up into a dry eudiometer filled with mercury, 
and dry ammoniacal gas be then admitted into the same tube, each bubble of gas col- 
lapses -mth a shock, like that produced by a bubble of steam projected into cold water. 
A large quantity of ammonia is thus absorbed by boric ethide with extreme energy. To 
prepare the compound thus formed in larger quantity, several grammes of boric ethide 
were placed in a small flask filled with nitrogen and surrounded with ice : a current of 
dry ammoniacal gas was now passed into the flask so long as it was absorbed ; finally, the 
product thus obtained was warmed to expel excess of ammonia, and then exposed in 
vacuo over sulphuric acid for twenty-four hours. It did not crystallize, and could not 
he distilled, except in vacuo., without decomposition. Submitted to analysis, it yielded 
61*43 per cent, of carbon and 15*43 per cent, of hydrogen. The formula 
NH3H-B(C4H5)3 
requires 62*66 per cent, of carbon and 15*66 per cent, of hydrogen. The unavoidable 
