206 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



The product of the action of potash-lime on the higlier primary alcohols 

 is therefore insoluble in petroleum-ether; while, on the other hand, when 

 the potash-lime is heated with hydrocarbons, no reaction takes place, and 

 the latter can be extracted from the residue by means of hot petroleum- 

 ether. 



We liave already seen tliat Montana Wax contains 53 per cent, of 

 acid, and 47 per cent, of unsaponifiable matter. If the latter be an alcohol 

 (primary), the wax, when heated with potash-lime, should become completely 

 insoluble in petroleum-ether. 



3'217 grms. of tlie unsaponifiable matter were heated for two hours to 

 250°C. with a mixture of potash and soda-lime ; and on extracting the residue 

 witli petroleum-etliei', 2'75 grms. of extract were obtained, corresponding 

 to 85"48 per cent, of liydrocarbons or other substances not fixable by potash 

 under the conditions of experiment. 



The Hiibl- Waller Iodine Number of the unsaponifiable matter was 

 31'13 ; that for the crude acid was 4-9 ; and assuming that the was contained 

 53 per cent, acid and 47 per cent, unsaponifiable matter, its Iodine Number 

 should be 17.2. Direct experiment gave 16'0 (v. siq)ra). 



Similar results to tlie above were obtained with another specimen of 

 Montana Wax examined by us. 



While engaged in the examination of Montana or Montau Wax, we 

 obtained a sample of a similar wax, called Montaniu Wax, which was 

 apparently of a similar cliemlcal composition to the former, but, nevertheless, 

 had very different physical properties. We can find no references to 

 Montaniu Wax in the literature. 



Moiitanin Wax. — Montanin Wax is a white, hard was, capable of being 

 powdered in a mortar, of a higli melting-point (95-97° C), and having a 

 specific gravity 0-980 at 15^ 0. Its Acid Number was 56-9, Ester Number 

 I'O, and Saponification Number 57'9. Like the Montana Wax, it contains 

 only a trace of ester. 



The percentage of unsaponifiable matter in the wax was determined by 

 the method described above. 



1'4 grm. of wax gave 0'4866 grm. unsaponifiable matter, corresponding to 

 34"8 per cent. 



The unsaponifiable portion melted at 58-59° 0., had a specific gravity of 

 0'92, did not react with acetic anhydride to form an acetate, and gave on 

 analysis the following results: — 



0-192 grm. sbst. gave 0-5895 grm. COo and 0-2430 grm. H,0, corre- 

 sponding to C 83-73, H 14-06, 2-21. 



