176 
DE. E. EEANKLAJSTD ON A NEW SEEIES OF 
study of the action of zincmethyl upon boracic ether would obviously decide between 
these views. If boric ethide were produced from these materials, Kekule’s hypothesis 
would be established ; but if, on the other hand, boric methide were the result of the 
reaction, then the correctness of the view originally taken by Mr. Duppa and myself 
would be proved to be correct. The following are the results obtained in pm’suing this 
inquiry. 
Boric Methide. 
When a strong ethereal solution of zincmethyl is added to boracic ether, an elevation 
of temperature to the extent of 8^ or 10° C. is observed, whilst at the same time a most 
intensely pungent odour is developed ; this odour, although it resembles that of boric 
ethide, is far more powerful, and more persistently hritating to the mucous membrane. 
A slow evolution of a spontaneously inflammable gas, burning with a splendid green 
flame, was also, noticed ; and this evolution of gas became more rapid when the warmth 
of the hand was applied to the flask containing the ingredients. Preliminary experi- 
ments proved that this gas was nearly insoluble in water, but almost completely soluble 
in alcohol, the residue remaining undissolved being marsh-gas derived from the action of 
the alcohol upon traces of zincmethyl vapour with which the gas was contaminated. 
The gas was not condensed by a freezing mixture of ice and salt. It was, with the 
exception of a small percentage of marsh-gas, instantaneously dissolved by solution of 
ammonia, which yielded the gas again unchanged when neutralized by an acid. Con- 
centrated sulphuric acid was without action upon the gas. 
These data led to the following plan for collecting the gas in a state of purity. About 
two ounces of boracic ether were mixed in a small flask with rather more than them own 
bulk of an ethereal solution of zincmethyl, of such strength as to be spontaneously 
inflammable in a high degree. The flask, loosely corked, was placed in ice-cold water, 
and allowed to stand for a couple of hours until the reaction was complete : it was then 
fui-nished nith a bent tube passing through a cork, and designed to conduct the gas into 
a second flask placed in a freezing mixture of ice and salt ; from this flask the gas passed 
into a third containing about half an ounce of strong solution of ammonia. The air in 
the whole of the apparatus was now displaced by nitrogen, and the flask contahiing the 
boracic ether and zincmethyl removed from the ice-cold water. A slow evolution of gas 
immediately commenced, and was kept up at a convenient speed by plunging the gene- 
rating flask into cold water, to which heat was very slowly applied. The gas, in passing 
through the freezing mixture, deposited nearly the whole of the ether and zincmethyl 
vapour with which it was contaminated ; and on reaching the solution of ammonia, the 
boron compound was instantaneously absorbed, whilst other gases, if present, passed 
through the ammonia unacted upon, and escaped into the atmosphere. The solution of 
ammonia soon became covered with a stratum of a lighter liquid, which increased in 
quantity until the stream of gas ceased to pass through. The ammonia-flask was now 
disconnected with the rest of the apparatus, and reserved for the next operation. The 
residue in the generating flask sohdifled to a crystalline mass on cooling. 
