of a Wax from China. 391 



collected at the other end of the tube was a mixture of hydro- 

 carbons of various boiling-points, from 75° C. to above 260° C. 

 No trace of solid matter was to be seen. 



If from the products of decomposition we turn to the ana- 

 lysis of the Chinese wax itself, we find numbers which are 

 perfectly consistent with the idea that the chemical position of 

 this body is among the class of compound aethers, where its 

 reactions also would lead us to place it. 



To purify the substance, it is to be crystallized out of 

 naphtha and alcohol ; washed with aether to remove the 

 naphtha ; boiled with water and crystallized again out of ab- 

 solute alcohol, in which it is soluble, although with difficulty. 

 Its melting-point is 82° C. 



I. 0-264.4 grm. gave 0'798 C0 2 and 0'323 HO. 



II. 0-2622 grm. gave 0*79 C0 2 and 0-3205 HO, which 

 give in 100 parts — 



Carbon . . . 82*31 82*16 



Hydrogen . . 13*57 13*58 



Oxygen ... 4*12 4*26 



100*00 100*00 



These numbers agree with the formula 



C 108 . . . 648 82*23 



H 108 ... 108 13-71 



4 . . . 32 4-06 



788 100*00 



This formula affords us a simple solution of the decompo- 

 sitions of this substance by saponification and by heat. 

 In the former case, 



j * 1 



Cios H 108 4 + KO, HO = C 64 H^ 3 , KO -f C^ H^ 2 . 



In the latter, 



^108 H 108 4 = C^ H^ 4 -f C^ H^. 



It is my intention shortly to offer to the Society another 

 communication, on the nature of myricine from bees'- wax ; 

 but I will now take the opportunity of stating that I have dis- 

 covered in the investigation two wax substances of the for- 



mulae C 60 H^Og and C 92 H 92 4 . 



