186 
VARIETIES. 
of  potash  (Oondy's  fluid),  that,  if  pure,  it  remains  pinky  and  unaltered; 
but  if  it  contains  the  slightest  trace  of  empyreuma,  the  permanganate  of 
potash  is  immediately  decolorized,  and  after  standing  a  short  time,  a  brown 
precipitate  is  produced,  but  this  is  not  the  case  when  the  acetic  acid  is 
absolutely  pure. —  Chemical  Neios,  London,  Nov.  30,  1861. 
Cinnamates  and  Nitro- cinnamates. — M.  E.  Kopp  has  prepared  and  de- 
scribed many  of  these  ( Comptes  Rendus,  t.  liii.  p.  634).  The  general 
properties  of  the  cinnamates  he  describes  as  follows  : — Those  with  an 
alkaline  base  are  soluble  in  water.  The  alkaline-earthy  salts  are  but 
slightly  soluble  in  the  cold,  but  more  so  when  heated.  The  earthy  salts  are 
insoluble,  and  are  partially  decomposed  by  boiling  water.  The  metallic 
salts  are  almost  insoluble  even  in  boiling  water,  but  are  in  general  dissolved 
on  the  addition  of  a  little  acetic  acid. 
Nitro- cinnamic,  though  a  weak  acid,  forms  neutral  salts,  and  decomposes 
alkaline  carbonates.  The  alkaline  salts  are  very  soluble,  the  others  are 
but  slightly  so,  or  are  altogether  insoluble.  They  all  deflagrate  when 
quickly  heated. 
Cinnamene,  C16II8  is  not  only  isomeric  but  completely  identical  with 
styrol.  When  pure  it  will  change  spontaneously  into  metacinnamene  per- 
fectly solid,  transparent,  and  having  all  the  properties,  chemical  and 
optical,  of  metastyrol. —  CJiem.  News,  London,  Dec.  21,  1861. 
Preservation  of  Proto-Iodide  of  Iron,  by  M.  Vezu.— Since  M.  Blancard 
made  the  use  of  pills  of  iodide  of  iron  general,  by  indicating  a  sure 
means  of  preserving  them,  many  persons,  in  whose  hands  his  formula  did 
not  succeed,  have  proposed  other  methods,  now  forgotten.  M.  Vezu  pro- 
poses to  shield  the  iodide  from  contact  with  air,  by  dissolving  it  in  a  fatty 
bodjT — cacao-nut  butter.  To  four  parts  of  iodine,  dissolved  in  the  melted 
butter  of  cacao-nut,  he  adds  six  parts  of  reduced  iron,  and  keeps  the  mix- 
ture in  a  semi-liquid  state  for  three  or  four  hours,  until  it  takes  a  bottle 
green  hue,  and  does  not  color  moistened  starch  paper,  when  a  thin  layer  is 
spread  over  it.  According  to  M.  Vezu,  the  iodide  dissolves  in  butter  of 
cacao-nut  without  sensibly  attacking  it. —  Chem.  News,  London,  Jan.  4, 
1862,  from  Repertoire  de  Pharmacie. 
Coal  in  California. — We  learn  from  the  California  Mining  and  Scientific 
Press  that  a  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  California  Academy  of  Sci- 
ence, was  held  in  San  Francisco  on  May  15,  at  which  Professor  Blake 
gave  an  interesting  description  of  the  coal  regions  of  Monte  Diabola,  ac- 
companied with  specimens  of  the  coal.  The  veins  are  rather  thin,  but  the 
coal  is  good  bituminous.  The  fossils  of  the  region  belong  to  the  tertiary 
formation.  Professor  Whitney  is  of  opinion  that  the  coal  was  formed 
from  accumulations  carried  by  eddies,  and  deposited  in  still  water.  A 
