Résumé : In order to study the thermodynamic stability of the ethylidene side chain in a bridged bicyclic system, as it is found in certain alkaloids, we have prepared the following compounds: 2‐ethylidene bicyclo [2, 2, 2] octane, 2‐ethylbicyclo [2, 2, 2] oct‐2‐ene, 3‐ethyl‐1‐azabicyclo [2, 2, 2] oct‐2‐ene and 3‐ethylidene‐1‐azabicyclo [2, 2, 2] octane. From the results of the dehydratation of the 2‐ethylbicyclo [2, 2, 2] octan‐2‐ol and 3‐ethyl‐1‐azabicyclo [2, 2, 2] octan‐3‐ol, made in the same conditions as in acid catalysed isomerization, the following figures are obtained: ) series of bicyclo [2, 2, 2] octane: 30% of endocyclic alkene and 70% of semicyclic alkene; ) series of 1‐azabicyclo [2, 2, 2] octane: 25% of endocyclic alkene and 75% of semicyclic alkene. These figures show the peculiar stability of a semicyclic double bond with respect to an endocyclic double bond in 1, 4 bridged bicyclic compounds. Copyright © 1964 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim