8 AF.T. 1. — Y. f^IITEATA : TITE ACTION OF 



oil of a dark yellow colour and having a faint odour, somewhat 

 resembling that of petroleum. The oil did not solidify even 

 when placed in a vacuum for a month, or when cooled with ice 

 and salt. 



The yield of the crude product was almost quantitative when 

 calculated as l:l-dimethyl-3-methylene-phthalane, 



At the ordinary temperature the oil was so viscid that it 

 did not flow out of a vessel even when held up side down, but 

 at about 40° it began to soften and, at about 70°, became 

 sufRciently mobile to be transferred from one vessel into another. 



The oil was now subjected to fractional distillation under a 

 reduced pressure of 5 mm., when almost the whole of it distilled 

 between 140° and 155°, the main portion, however, distilling at 

 145-146°. The distillate, which had a faint yellow colour and 

 the characteristic odour, gave the following results on analysis : 



1) 0.1911 g. of the substance gave 0.5805 g. of CO. and 

 0.1249 g. of HoO. 



2) 0.1753 g. of the substance gave 0.5244 g. of CO, and 

 0.1195 g. of HA 



3) 0.2083 g. of the substance gave 0.6317 g. of COo and 

 0.1443 g. of HoO. 



4) 0.1959 g. of the substance gave 0.6018 g. of CO, and 

 0.1318 g. of H,0. 



