282 



Transaction* . 



It is interesting to compare S. Kipping's figures* for the secondary 

 alcohol and acetates produced from ketones lower in the series with the 

 data for henpentecontane 26 01. and acetate. 



Ethyl Cerotate. — This compound was prepared from cerotic acid by 

 dissolving the acid in absolute alcohol and boiling for twenty-four hours 

 with 5 per cent, sulphuric acid. The ester obtained by this process was 

 carefully washed free from sulphuric acid, dried in a vacuum, and then 

 distilled under reduced pressure. The distillate crystallized from alcohol 

 in colourless plates. It is easily soluble in alcohol, motor spirit and ethyl 

 acetate, and acetic acid. 



It boiled at 285° (14 mm.) and melted at 58-5-59°, and further crystal- 

 lization did not raise the melting-point. Beilstein gives 59-60° as the 

 melting-point of ethyl cerotate. 



The following is a comparison of the melting-points of montanic and 

 cerotic acids, and the melting-points of their ethyl esters : — 



Ethyl Ester. Difference. 



Cerotic acid (78°) . . . . 58-5-59° 18-75° 



Montanic acid (83°) . . . . 67° 16° 



Analysis of Ethyl Cerotate. 

 Calc. for C 28 H 56 2 . Found. 



C = 79-24 79-14 



H = 13-20 13-05 



B. MONTANIC ACID AND DERIVATIVES. 



In Part I the isolation of pure montanic acid was described, and it was 

 shown that it had a melting-point of 83°, and had a molecular weight 

 corresponding to a formula C 28 H 56 2 . 



Pure montanic acid crystallizes from acetic acid in colourless plates. § 

 It is fairly soluble in hot alcohol and glacial acetic acid, but is much more 

 soluble in motor spirit and ethyl acetate. 



Montanic acid is only slightly soluble in methyl alcohol. This fact 

 is of interest, for, while cerotic acid is quite soluble in this solvent, melissic 

 acid is said by Marie to be insoluble. 



* Journ. Chem. Soc, 1893, p. 466. 



t Determinations by the author. 



J Private communication, T. H. Easterfield and C. M. Taylor. 



§ Previous experimenters have reported montanic acid as crystallizing in needles. 



