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DE. E. FEANKLAND ON A NEW SEEIES OE 
is not sufficiently decisive to compel the adoption of either of these hypotheses, although 
the formation of the vapour and its existence for a few minutes in contact with chloride 
of copper favour the first more than the second ; thus indicating that the vapour of 
ammonia-boric methide consists of equal volumes of ammonia and boric methide united 
without condensation, a result which would harmonize with the very generally observed 
rule, that when two gases or vapours unite in equal volumes, the volume of the com- 
pound is equal to that of its constituents. 
Ammonia-boric methide scarcely absorbs a perceptible amount of oxygen at ordinary 
temperatures, even after several days’ exposure to the gas ; but it takes fire below 
100° C. when heated in contact with the air. Its vapour is also very inflammable ; thus, 
when ammonia-boric methide is placed under the receiver of an air-pump, and the air is 
being withdrawn, the explosion of the mixture of air and vapour in the cylinders of the 
pump is frequently determined by the rise of temperature consequent upon the depres- 
sion of the pistons when the rarefaction has become considerable. 
Boric methide is also absorbed by aniline with great avidity. Acids expel the gas 
from this compound unchanged. 
Terhydride of phosphorus has no action upon boric methide. A mixture of equal 
volumes of the two gases is spontaneously inflammable, burning with a yellowish-white 
flame, in which the characteristic green tinge attending the combustion of boric methide 
is no longer perceptible. 
Compounds of Boric Methide with Potash, Soda, Lime, and Baryta. 
Solution of caustic potash absorbs boric methide with great energy. The saturated 
solution, exposed over sulphuric acid in vacuo, dries down to a gummy mass, which 
scarcely exhibits signs of crystallization. The same body may be more conveniently 
formed by decomposing ammonia-boric methide with alcoholic solution of potash, taking 
care to employ an excess of the former. On evaporation over sulphuric acid in vacuo, 
the excess of the ammonia compound volatilizes, and is decomposed by the sulphuric 
acid with the elimination of boric methide : thus the potash compound evaporates in an 
atmosphere of boric methide. Nevertheless even by this method I did not succeed in 
obtaining the potash compound in a state of purity; potash-boric methide thus pre- 
pared yielding on analysis 47-93 per cent, of potash, and 42-86 per cent of boric methide, 
numbers only very remotely indicating the formula 
K0B(C2H3)3, 
which requires 45-67 per cent, of potash and 54-33 per cent, of boric methide. The 
appearance of the compound, even after exposure to gentle heat in vacuo, suggested the 
presence of water, which could not, however, be expelled at a temperature below that 
at which potash-boric methide itself is decomposed. 
Boric methide is also readily absorbed by solution of neutral carbonate of potash, 
bicarbonate of potash and potash-boric methide being apparently formed. Although 
