The Use of Sodium Amide as the Condensing Agent.-The apparatus used in these reactions consisted of a 1000-ml., three-necked, round-bottomed flask equipped with ground-glass joints, a mercury-sealed stirrer, a reflux condenser, and an addition funnel (protected from atmospheric moisture by a drying tube filled with Drierite). The reactions were carried out in a well-ventilated hood. Using a method previously described, 4 0.4 mole (9.2 8.) of sodium ...