CL Chemical Notices from Foreign Sources.
—
On Astigmatism,-C. J. A. Leroy.—A mathematical
paper not susceptible of useful abridgment.
Heat Evolved in the Combustion of Certain Isomeric
 Alcohols of the Fatty Series, and of (Enanthol.—W.
 Louguinine.—The author's obje& is to ascertain
 if the kind of isomerism presented by the various
alcohols of the fatty series has an appreciable influence
on their heat of combustion.
Refrigerant Mixtures formed of Two Crystalline
Salts.—A. Ditte.—The phenomena observed establish the
possibility of forming refrigerating mixtures with two
saline bodies, one of which retains much crystalline water,
when the double decomposition resulting from their conta
 is effeed without any marked liberation of heat.
Crystalline Hydrofluosilicic Acid.—M. Kessler.—
The author has obtained a compound to which he assigns
the formula F,SiFH+2HO. It is probably the only
known hydrated hydracid which crystallises at common
temperatures.
Proportion of Carbonic Acid in the Air.—M, Marié
Davy.—A reply to the second communication of M. Reiset.
The author considers that many well-established fas are
opposed to the theory of the uniform distribution of carbonic
 acid.
Preparation of Malonic Acid.—E. Bourgoin.—The
author dissolves 100 grms. monochloracetic acid in double
its weight of water, and saturates the solution with potassium
 bicarbonate, about rrogrms. He adds then 75 grs.
pure potassium cyanide, and, after dissolving, heats carefully
 in the water-bath, To the liquid are added two
vols. concentrated hydrochloric acid ; the deposit of potassium
 chloride is removed, and the liquid is supersaturated
with gaseous hydrochloric acid. The salts deposited are
strained off through a plug of asbestos, and the motherliquor
 which they hold back is displaced by a little hydrothloric
 acid. The washings are added to the acid solution
which is evaporated at first at a boil and then on the
water-bath, The residue, almost dry, is exhausted with
ether, from which pure malonic acid is obtained on distil.
lation or evaporation.
Preparation of Neutral Sulphuric Ether.—M. A.
Villiers.—This neutral ether is prepared by distilling in a
vacuum a mixture of sulphuric acid and absolute alcohol;
about 200 grms. of the former with thrice its volume of
the latter. The distillation should be exceedingly slow.
The liquid which passes over is divided into two strata, of
which the lower is the pure neutral colourless ether.
Presence in Soya hispida of a Substance Soluble in
Alcohol and readily Convertible into Glucoose.—M.
A. Levallois.—This substance is soluble in alcohol, does
not readily reduce Fehling’s liquid, and closely resembles
glucose in its optical characters.

13
TT
triacetonamin with iodethyl, by W. Heintz, and a paper
on the existence of acetonin, by the same author. The
conclusion arrived at is negative,
Molybdic Acichlorides.—W. Puttbach,—The author
considers that six acichlorides of molybdenum are known,
of which four are saturated.

Reimann’s Farber Zeitung,
No. 14, 1880.
The Maritime Court of Bremerhaven has decided that
the fire on board the Mosel, on O&ober 3, 1879, was due
to the spontaneous combustion of certain black silk yarn,
which formed part of her cargo.
Dr. Goppelsreeder has resigned his Professorship at the
Ecole de Chimie of Mulhouse,
No. 15, 1880.
This number contains nothing of general interest to our
readers.

MISCELLANEOUS.
Agitation of Liquids.—For this purpose an india.
‘ubber cover is constructed fitting air-tight to the working
seaker and having two tubulures, through one of which a
rlass tube is passed to the bottom, thereby covering its
ower end with the liquid, and its upper end is open to
he air. The other tubulure is connected to an aspirator
of some kind (in my laboratory a Bunsen’s water pump is
used with advantage), which, being put in motion, draws
a stream of air bubbles through the liquid, thereby keeping
t in a constant state of agitation. By means of: this
apparatus the precipitation of phosphoric acid, as ammonio-phosphate
 of magnesia, is complete after half an
hour’s agitation.—H. B. YARDLEY.
Washing Flask.—In the former communication I believe
 1 may claim some originality, but in this present
my desire is simply to draw the attention of brother
chemists to the advantages of using an india-rubber ball
with tubulure attached to the mouth-piece which is bent
round to the side of the flask, so that by holding the neck
of flask with the fingers, and pressing the ball with the
:humb, the desired stream of liquid is obtained. The
sall is provided with a small air hole, over which the
:humb is placed, and which allows air to re-enter immediately
 on removal of the pressure. The stream of liquid
can be kept up any length of time, and at a pressure
varying at will and in any dire&tion. I also always fit
my wash flask with a movable jet by means of indiarubber
 tube. I may mention that Messrs. Townson and
Mercer supply both these balls and the india-rubber covers
previously described.—H. B. YARDLEY.

Yustus Liebig’s Annalen dey Chemie,
Band 201, Heft 1.
Salts of Chloro-chromic Acid.—G. Praetorius.—The
wuthor has succeeded in obtaining barium and strontium
shloro-chromates by using as a solvent glacial acetic acid
instead of water, He has also formed and examined the
chloro-chromates of magnesium, nickel and cobalt, zinc,
sodium. He did not succeed in obtaining the cadmium
salt.
Communications from the Laboratory of Wiirzburg
University.— These consist of a memoir on butallylmethyl-carbinol,
 by J. K. Crow; a memoir on diallylacetester
 and its derivatives, by C. Wolff; contributions
to the history of methyl-crotonic acid, by Aug. Riicker;
an account of diethyl-8-oxy-butyric acid, by H. Schnapp ;
and a paper on the readtion of zinc and iodallyl upon
acetester and diethyl-acetester.
Communications from the University Laboratory
of Halle.—These include an account of the behaviour of

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Dissolving Shoddy.—A correspondent would be glad to know
1s to the best apparatus for dissolving shoddy for the manufacture of
manure.—H.B.D.
Bright Red Writing Ink.—Will any of your learned correspon.
lents kindly give me, through the medium of the CHEMICAL NEWS,
1 thorough good recipe for making a bright red writing ink.,— J. Smita

MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK.

MONDAY, sth.—Royal Institution, s. General Monthly Meeting.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. '

Analyst.—We cannot give the information required. Probably an
.dvertisement would get you what you want.