Angewandte Botanik. 77 



The fact was brought to liglit, that the terpenes of the oil obtained 

 from the fruits of most species of Callitris, had an opposite rotation 

 to those contained in the leaves, even if collected from the same 

 tree. The essential oil obtained from the foliage of this species of 

 Callitris is an excellent sample of 'Pine-needle oil' of fine aroma and 

 of good colour, and compares favourably with the best commercial 

 Pine-needle oils. The yield of oil is good, the average ^ield being 

 O-ö*^' V,. The aniount of esters in the crude oils vary from 12 to 16*^',). 

 These esters are bornyl-acetate and geranyl-acetate. The principal 

 terpenes in the oil are dextrorotatory pinene, and dextrorotatory 

 limonene, the former predominating. The specific gravity of the crude 

 oils ranges between 08631 and 0-8782; the rotation [au) between -\- 

 22-7° and + 31-3°, and the refractive index between 1*4747 and 1-4779. 

 The borneol is dextrorotatory and its acetate is dextrorotator}' also. 

 From the thick crude oil obtained from the timber b^' steam distil- 

 lation the sesquiterpene alcohol guaiol was isolated. This was found 

 to be identical with the guaiol obtained from Guaiacum wood. The 

 sesquiterpene was also present in the oil in a free condition. The 

 timber of the Australian Callitris or 'Pines' has a characteristic and 

 pieasant odour, and in the interior ofNew South Wales it is the 

 common timber for various uses, and houses are built of it. It is 

 well known that the 'White Ants' or ^Termites' are not partial to it, 

 and will discard it if they can get anything eise. The constituent 

 giving this odour to the wood is a new phenol. It gives characteristic 

 colour reaction with bromine, and with hydrochloric, hydrobromic 

 and sulphuric acids. It is a thick oil, and when dissolved in alcohol, 

 ferric Chloride gives practically no reaction. The name Callitrolhas 

 been proposed for it. The acids of the esters in the oil were butyric 

 and acetic, together with an acid substance at present undetermined, 

 but no other alcohol than guaiol could be detected. On distilling the 

 crude product, at a high temperature an indigo oil distilled. Guaiol 

 has also been extracted from the timber of other species of Callitris, 

 so that it may be considered to be common to all the species. The 

 sandarac resin from this species was shown to be inferior to that 

 obtained from C. calcarata. The resins of the various species of Calli- 

 tris vary in chemical behaviour as do the oils, so that it is necessary 

 to classify them in order ot commercial value; this work will be 

 undertaken later, and most of the resins of the various species have 

 alread}'^ been obtained with some species from many localities. The 

 resins from some of the species are equal to ordinary sandarac for 

 commercial purposes. Authors' notice. 



Henry, E.,Les sols forestiers. ("Vol. in 8". de 492 pp. avec 3 diagr. 

 5 pl. et 2 cartes. Paris et Nanc3^ Berger-Levrault et Cie. 1908.) 



Le sol forestier differe ä beaucoup d'egards du sol agricole. II se 

 forme ä la longue, par l'action de la for6t meme et des agents 

 chimiques ou biologiques qu'elle met en jeu. II y entre toujours 

 deux Clements: Tun provenant de la decomposition ou de la des- 

 agregation des roches de la surface; c'est l'element mineral; l'autre, 

 forme aux depens de la Vegetation qui recouvre le sol, l'element 

 organique qui, ä l'etat d'humus, se melange intimement au premier 

 pour donner la terre vegetale. L'humus est le dernier terme de 

 l'alteration des detritus vegetaux, formant d'abord au sol une cou- 

 verture morte; lentement decomposee, eile s'incorpore finalement au 

 sol. Un sol qu'on reboise n'est pas, par cela meme, un sol forestier; 



