214 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



gramme of carnauba wax, and 1'2 gramme of ceresiue. On examination 

 of the composition wax thus formed, by the metliods mentioned above, 

 I obtained results very similar to those got from genuine beeswax : — 



The composition wax having an Acid Number and a percentage of free 

 acids approximately the same as beeswax, it would, if the variation in 

 melting-points were neglected, be returned as pure beeswax if the analyst 

 followed the method proposed by Hehner, or tliat proposed here for the 

 partial examination of complex wax mixtures. 



The above wax composition contains 12 per cent, of ceresine, and 

 9'4 per cent, of so-called hydrocarbons from Montana wax, making a total 

 of 21-4 per cent, of " hydrocarbons," whereas beeswax contains only 11-14 

 per cent. 



Again, by hydrolysing the "ester" obtained in the gravimetric estima- 

 tion of tlie free acids, and separating the insoluble acids from the soap 

 formed, it will be found that tlie molecular weight of the combined insoluble 

 acids is greater than the mean molecular weight of the combined acids 

 in myriciu. Assuming that the only acids present in the esters are palmitic 

 and cerotic acids, the percentage by weight of the cerotic acid (combined) can 

 be found ; and from this the percentage of carnauba wax, or of Chinese wax, 

 can be calculated. 



In the results given above it will be noticed that the mean number of 

 milligrammes of potash neutralized by 1 gramme of the crude cerotic acid 

 contained in unbleached beeswax is 146, whereas 1 gramme of pure cerotic 

 acid neutralizes only 141-6 milligrammes of potash. Crude cerotic acid, 

 therefore, contains in addition to cerotic and melissic acids, other acids of 

 lower molecular weight than cerotic. 



Again, from the percentage by weight of the ester in the different 

 samples of beeswax examined, and the Ester Numbers of the waxes, it 

 follows that the mean molecular weight of the ester, assuming tliat tlie 



