4 NOTES ON THE RESINS, ETC., OF AEAUCARIA. 



Its prevailing colour is purple-brown ; and lustre, dull resinous. 

 When powdered it is of a bright red, something between 

 Venetian and Indian red, forming a very pleasing colour. It is 

 amygdaloidal, the amygdaloids being small, and consisting of 

 the scales referred to in the foot-note. It is quite brittle, 

 powdering readily. It stains the fingers, and is gritty to the 

 teeth, like brick-dust, and colours the saliva red. It is similar 

 to some poor sample of dragon's blood, except in the amygdaloid 

 appearance. 



This specimen is evidently an abnormal one, and therefore 

 I have some doubts as to what value an analysis of it may be. 

 According to the Parh E.v/i. Cat., 1878, resin of this species is 

 " clear and transparent," and probably it and the resin of A. 

 Cwminiilunnii, collected under similar circumstances, are very 

 much alike. My resin is very impure, and it may be that long 

 exposure to rain and sun may have darkened the colour. I 

 received this specimen from the Director of the Botanic 

 Garden, Sydney, and there is no doubt as to its origin, apart 

 from the evidence furnished by examination of its insoluble 

 residue. 



On digestion in pretroleum spirit for a few days there is 

 removed 9-8 per cent, of a transparent substance, which would 

 be taken for a resin but for the fact that scratching with a hard 

 substance reduces it to a bright-looking flaky powder, and that 

 alcohol, added to it, produces a white opaque powder which 

 appears to possess more of the characteristics of a resin. It 

 is insoluble both in aqueous and alcoholic potash. At present 

 I am uncertain as to the precise nature of this substance. 



Addition of alcohol to the residue from petroleum spirit 

 dissolves 61-3 per cent, of a resin of superb ruby cojour. 

 This is a most handsome resin, and should be further enquired 

 into, both from a scientific point of view, and also to 

 investigate its usefulness for tinctorial or other economic 

 purposes. 



The residue was then acted upon by water, with the result 

 that 3-8 per cent, of a yellow substance, consisting of colouring 

 matter (?) and salts, was extracted. It contains no arabin. 



