322 



REMARKS. The common name of "Half Mahogany" might lead one to place this species umier 

 E. resinifera, Sm., and, no doubt, it may have been so classed in herbaria, but it differs from it in several features. 

 The leaves of E. resinijera have " numerous fine, close, parallel, and almost transverse veins, sometimes scarcely 

 conspicuous, the intramarginal one close to the edge." This species has a venation more like that of K. tereticornis, 

 Sm., than of E. resinijera, Sm. The transverse veins are oblique, prominent, and spreading, and the intramarginal 

 one removed from the edge, particularly in the abnormal leaves. The venation, therefore, shows no connection 

 with E. resinijera, Sm., nor does it with E. pettita, F.v.M. From this latter species it also differs in the shape and 

 size of the calyx tube, and also in the fruits. The timber is specifically light, and of a pale-red colour. The 

 odour is quite unlike that exhaled from any other Eucalyptus. The fruits are characteristic, and the bark is clofe 

 and compact. It is well distributed in the Coast district, extending from the Queensland border to Illawarra. 

 Since this species was described, we have seen a specimen in the National Herbarium, Melbourne, labelled 

 E. Kirtoni, by Baron von Mueller, which much resembles, and, no doubt, is this species; but, as no proper descrip- 

 tion of E. Kirtoni was ever published, and in view of the scientific data now recorded we have decided to let our 

 name stand, purely for the sake of scientific precision. 



Mr. Maiden joins issue with us in retaining this name, but admits (Crit. Rev. Hue. Vol. iii., p. 200) 

 that " Mueller's description is unsatisfactory as measured by modern standards." 



ESSENTIAL OIL. Leaves and terminal branchlets for distillation were 

 obtained from Belmore, N.S.W., in February, 1900. The yield of oil was 0-26 

 per cent. The crude oil was orange-brown in colour, was very mobile, and had 

 a secondary odour resembling that of citral. The presence of this aldehyde in 

 the oil was proved by extracting it with acid sodium sulphite, and preparing its 

 characteristic naphthocinchoninic acid. Phellandrene could not be detected, 

 nor was conclusive proof obtained of the presence of pinene. The low specific 

 gravity of the first fraction, its high laevo-rotation, together with its boiling point, 

 suggested the presence of limonene, but attempts to form the characteristic tetra- 

 bromide were not successful, nor were the reactions for cymene obtained. At 

 present the identity of this terpene remains undecided. Cineol could not be 

 detected in the oil. A -good quantity of the sesquiterpene was present, 20 per 

 cent, distilling between 260-270 C. Free alcohols occur, and these gave the oil 

 a pleasant odour. Esters were not pronounced. 



The crude oil had specific gravity at 15 C. = 0-8735 ; rotation a n - - 15-2 ; 

 refractive index at 20 = 1-4891, and was insoluble in 10 volumes 80 per cent, 

 alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 6-2. 



A portion of the oil was acetylated in the usual way when the saponifi- 

 fication number had risen to 63-3, suggesting the presence of nearly 16 per cent, 

 of free alcohol, if calculated for the C IO H I? O molecule. 



On rectification, 2 per cent, distilled below 174 C. (corr.). Between 

 174-179, 34 per cent, distilled; between 179-245, 27 per cent, came over, and 

 between 245-273, 24 per cent, distilled. Thus 13 per cent, remained in the 

 still, boiling above 273 C. The fractions gave the following results : 



First fraction, sp. gr. at 15 C. = 0-8519 ; rotation -- 23-4. 



Second ,, ,, ,, =0-8600; ,, not taken. 



Third = 0-9035; 



The above sample was stored in the dark, and in November, 1919, was again 

 analysed. Very little alteration had taken place during the nineteen years the 

 oil had been kept, except that the specific gravity had increased a little, and the 

 optical rotation had diminished about 5 degrees. 47 per cent, distilled below 

 190 C. The crude oil and the rectified portion gave the following results : 

 Crude oil, sp. gr. at 15 C. = = 0-8832; rotation a n 9-5; refractive 



index at 20 = 1-4891. 

 Rectified portion = 0-8544 ; rotation a D 22-4 ; refractive 



index at 20 = 1-4807. 



The cineol was determined by the resorcinol method in the rectified portion ; 

 when calculated for the crude oil, the result was only i per cent. It is thus evident 

 that cineol was practically absent in the oil of this species, as were also other 

 absorbable bodies, 



