Manchester Memoirs^ Vol. Iviii. (19 13), No. ?J. 3 



oily liquid was treated with a large volume of hot alcohol. 

 On cooling the solution thus obtained, a crystalline 

 substance separated out, which on recrystallisation from 

 alcohol, or better still from methyl acetate, yielded white 

 crystals showing a constant melting point of 65 ^C. 

 Ultimate analyses gave the following results : — 



I. II. Calc. for €271164- 



C 85-52 ... 85-47 ••• 8571 

 H 14-37 — 14-41 ••• 1429 



99-89 99'88 ioo"0O 



The compound absorbs bromine. 



From the composition, melting point and bromine 

 absorption, it is probable that this hydrocarbon is identical 

 with the cerotene isolated by Konig and Kiesow from 

 hay in 1873 {Ber. 6, p. 500). In order to satisfy ourselves 

 that this occurrence was not an isolated case, a sample of 

 soot from a different source was extracted directly with 

 petroleum ether, and the residue, after distilling off the 

 solvent, crystallised from alcohol as described. The same 

 compound was thus obtained. 



Later, we found that the hydrocarbon can also be 

 obtained by extracting the soot tar with glacial acetic 

 acid, when about 90 % of the latter goes into solution. 

 The insoluble residue is dissolved in hot alcohol, and the 

 product which separates out on cooling is recrystallised 

 several times from ethyl acetate. 



The solution of the soot tar in glacial acetic acid 

 referred to above) was diluted with water, when an oily 

 substance separated out, and this was taken up in ether. 

 The ethereal solution was first extracted with a 5 % 

 solution of caustic soda, and when thus freed from acid 

 and phenolic constituents it left on evaporation a dark 

 coloured semi-solid tar, which was distilled in vacuo. 



