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Glyptosaurus nodosus, sp. nov.

In this species, which was somewhat smaller than the one above described, the frontals are thicker at the median suture, and the shields between the orbits very convex. The middle row of each frontal in this region has the shields longer than wide, and subhexagonal. The tubercles on the shields are also proportionally larger, and less crowded together. The plates of the body have the same ornamentation as the cranial shields, and some of them are keeled. The species was about three feet in length.

Measurements.

Width of single frontal, between orbits,

Length of four shields on middle row of frontal,-
Length of ventral shield,

Width,

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66

3.75

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5.60

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Length of dorsal vertebra, from edge of cup to end of ball, 5.60
Width of cup,-

Depth of cup,.

Expansion of posterior zygapophyses,

The specimens representing this species were discovered by the writer, in the fresh-water Tertiary strata, at Grizzly Buttes, Wyoming.

Glyptosaurus ocellatus, sp. nov.

The present species, which was perhaps the largest of the lizards collected by our party, is readily distinguished from the two preceding, by the pattern of ornamentation on the cranial plates, which are very thick, united by suture, and have the tubercles arranged in concentric series. The outer row of tubercles is considerably the largest, and the next two or three successively smaller; while the center is occupied by a group of very small tubercles, with no definite arrangement. effect of this is to produce an ocellated appearance in each shield, which has suggested the specific name. This effect is increased in one very perfect specimen by the central group of tubercles being of a lighter color.

The

The only specimens that can at present be referred with certainty to this species were discovered by Mr. H. B. Sargent, in the Tertiary beds at Grizzly Buttes, near Fort Bridger.

Glyptosaurus anceps, sp. nov.

A small species of lizard, quite distinct from those described above, is indicated by numerous fragmentary remains found associated with them in the same deposits. Some of the characters exhibited by these specimens point toward a different genus, but until additional material is obtained, the species may appropriately be placed in Glyptosaurus. The vertebræ

have the cup and ball equally transverse with those of the species already described, but they are much less inclined from a vertical. The neural arch is also less elevated in the specimens preserved, and the whole vertebra is more depressed. The teeth are pleurodont. The species was about two feet in length.

Measurements.

Length of posterior dorsal vertebra, from edge of cup

to end of ball,

Width of cup,

Depth of cup,-

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4.30

66

Expansion of anterior zygapophyses,

The remains on which the present description is based were collected by Mr. C. T. Ballard and the writer, in the Tertiary beds, at Grizzly Buttes, Wyoming. They are now in the Peabody Museum of Yale College, as are all the other specimens described in the present article.

Yale College, New Haven, May 5th, 1871.

SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.

I. CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS.

1. On a new series of ammonia-platinum bases.-P. T. CLEVE, to whom we owe an elaborate and valuable investigation of the compounds of platinum with ammonia, has discovered a new and remarkable series in which two atoms of tetratomic platinum combine to form the hexatomic diplatinum. These compounds are formed by treating the iodide, iodonitrate and bromonitrate of Gros's base with ammonia, so that we have the formulas Pt2 a I ᏞᎾ, * Pt2 a I,,2N2, and Pt, a. 2NH2. →3. 2NO2, or rationally according to Blomstrand's views:

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3

a.a. I

Pt, a. NH, H2O
a.NH,
a. a. I

I

2

2

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The unsaturated nitrates of the new platinum bases take up H.. NO, directly, and give the saturated iodonitrate or bromonitrate:

2

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With iodide of potassium, sulphuric acid, sodic phosphate and ammonic oxalate we obtain:

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Ꮎ.NᎾ,

a.a.e.Ne,
a. a. →.NO,
a. a. e. Ne
a.a..NO2
Ꮎ.NᎾ,

The analogy between these compounds and those of hexatomic cobalt will be at once evident.

In conclusion, the author gives the following view of the platinum bases at present known:

(1) Compounds of diatomic platinum,

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a. ᎾᎻ

Pt

a. ᎾᎻ

ᎻᎾ . Pt a . a .

Reiset's second.

ᎾᎻ

Platinous oxide ammonia.

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Pt

a.a.ᎾᎻ

a.a.ᎾᎻ

Reiset's first.

ᎾᎻ

He iv a.a.
Pt
ᎻᎾ a.a.ᎾᎻ

Gros's base.

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In these compounds ethylamine, aniline, and doubtless other organic alkaloids may replace ammonia to a greater or less extent. -Berichte der Deutschen Chem. Gesellschaft, iv Jahrgang, p. 70. (From a letter of C. W. Blomstrand.)

W. G.

2. On the preparation of hydric phosphide for lecture experiments.-A. W. HOFMANN has given a simple and elegant method of preparing pure hydric phosphide by means of iodide of phosphonium, PHI, which is itself easily prepared by the following process due to Baeyer. Dry carbonic disulphide is introduced into a tubulated retort, 100 gr. of phosphorus dissolved in it, and then 175 gr. iodine added in small portions at a time. The disulphide is then to be distilled off and the last traces removed by a current of dry carbonic dioxide, the retort being gently warmed. After cooling, the condenser is to be removed from the retort and

a long, wide and thin glass tube adapted to it, terminating in a gas tube which nearly reaches the surface of the water in a flask. 50 gr. of water are then to be poured in small portions at a time upon the iodide of phosphorus through a funnel tube drawn out at the end. Every time that water is added a violent reaction ensues and iodide of phosphonium condenses in the wide glass tube, while small quantities of iodhydric acid are condensed in the water of the flask. After all the water is added, the retort is at first gently warmed, and afterward heated to low redness so as to drive all the iodide into the glass tube. On breaking the glass tube after cooling, the iodide of phosphonium is found in thick crusts like salammoniac, and with the quantities of material above mentioned amounts to about 120 gr. The iodide as thus prepared is mixed with small pieces of glass and introduced in pieces of the size of a pea into a flask provided with a rubber stopper, through which pass a funnel tube with a stop cock and bulb, and a delivery tube. If now a solution of caustic potash, of the strength of that commonly employed in organic analysis, be allowed to flow down upon the iodide, a regular current of hydric phosphide, PH,, is evolved, which is completely under control. The gas is perfectly pure; 7.3 gr. of the iodide yield about one liter of gas. The gas is not spontaneously inflammable, but becomes so by passing through nitric acid which contains a trace of nitrous acid. Hofmann recommends as a beautiful lecture table experiment the decomposition of pure hydric phosphide by means of the induction spark passing between points of gas-carbon.-Berichte der Deutschen Chem. Gesellschaft, Jahrgang iv, p. 200.

W. G.

3. On the direct substitution of the alcohol radicals for the hydrogen in hydric phosphide.-Absolute alcohol heated with iodide of phosphonium yields hydric phosphide, ethylic iodide and water. HOFMANN has employed this reaction in a beautiful process for obtaining the iodides of triethyl and tetrethyl-phosphonium, which consists in simply heating one molecule of iodide of phosphonium with three molecules of absolute alcohol in a sealed tube for 6-8 hours at 180° C. Under these circumstances the ethylic iodide acts directly upon the hydric phosphide to form the iodides of the substituted phosphoniums. After cooling, the tube is found filled with a beautiful snow-white, crystalline mass, which dissolves in water to a perfectly colorless solution. The crystals are a mixture of about equal proportions of the iodides of triethyl and tetrethylphosphonium. A solution of sodic hydrate separates triethylphosphine as a colorless layer of liquid. The solution then gives, on evaporation, beautiful crystals of the iodide of tetrethyl-phosphonium; the triethyl-phosphine as separated by means of a funnel is chemically pure. The iodides of trimethyl and tetramethylphosphonium were easily prepared by the same process. In like manner allylic alcohol, phenol and glycerin gave promise of a rich harvest of new results.-Berichte der Deutschen Chem. Gesellschaft, iv Jahrgang, p. 205.

W. G.

4. On a new mode of formation of Para-oxybenzoic Acid; by IRA REMSEN, Assistant in the Chemical Laboratory at Tübingen. (Communicated for this Journal.)-A short time since Barth* showed that by fusing sulphobenzoate of potassium with caustic potash oxybenzoic acid is formed. Subsequently Heintz employed this reaction for the purpose of preparing oxybenzoic acid in larger quantity. The fact appears however to have escaped the notice of these chemists, that under the given circumstances paraoxybenzoic acid is likewise always formed, together with oxybenzoic acid, at times even in very considerable quantity.

I was occupied, according to the prescribed directions, in the preparation of oxybenzoic acid, which I required in an absolutely pure condition. On dissolving the first product in water, however, and allowing to crystallize, I was astonished to find that, as the solution cooled, somewhat discolored though well formed crystals, which presented the general appearance of paraoxybenzoic acid, were deposited. Recrystallized from water, these crystals became perfectly colorless and translucent. They were also more perfectly developed than at first, and the crystalline form, as well as could be determined without the aid of measurements, was identical with that of paraoxybenzoic acid. On subjecting this substance to a closer examination, its identity with paraoxybenzoic acid soon became evident. Dried at 100° the crystals became white and opaque from loss of water of crystallization. They fused at exactly 210°, and became solid at 165°. Heated above the fusing point they soon underwent decomposition. The perfect correspondence of these properties with those of paraoxybenzoic acid proves the identity beyond a doubt. The mother liquor from the first crystals yielded on evaporation a mixture, consisting of oxybenzoic and paraoxybenzoic acid, which, although crystallized out together could very readily be distinguished from each other. The latter presented itself, as usual, in the form of well developed crystals, and upon these the oxybenzoic acid had been deposited in the peculiar crystalline masses in which it is generally observed. In this case about equal quantities of the two acids had been generated.

It must be mentioned that the sulphobenzoic acid made use of in this experiment was prepared according to a method somewhat different from that usually employed. The vapors of sulphuric anhydride were conducted into a flask containing crystallized benzoic acid. As, however, after a space of time the benzoic acid became packed together in tenacious lumps, and thus resisted the further action of the anhydride, a small amount of fuming sulphuric acid was added to the mass, and the whole gently heated for a short time. On now diluting with water no benzoic acid separated.

It appeared to me possible that the method of preparation might exert an influence upon the nature of the resulting product. Hence I prepared sulphobenzoic acid according to the method Ibid.. cliii, 326.

* Ann. de Chemie u. Pharm., cxlviii, 30.

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