lag 



On keeping the leaf oils of Callitris glaiica for some time a resinous substance 

 eventually formed, and attached itself to the sides of the bottles. This was 

 probably caused b\- light and oxidation, because the specific gra\dty of the oil 

 had also sUghtly increased. The solubility of the oil in alcohol also rapidly 

 diminished on keeping, as when freshly distilled the solubihty was often as low 

 as one yolume of qo per cent, alcohol, varying from that to ten volumes go per 

 cent, alcohol, but when aged it did not form a clear solution, at ordinary tem- 

 peratures, even wth ten volumes absolute alcohol. The solubility test appears 

 therefore, to be of little h^'lp m judging the value of the crude oil of this species 

 of Callitris. 



Equal volumes of the crude oils of each of the seven samples here in^-esti- 

 gated were mixed together, and the product analysed. It was lemon yellow in 

 colom- and retained the original odour. Although some of the samples had been 

 distilled for a few years, yet, the alteration in any direction was not great. There 

 was a slight increase in the specific gravity, and the increased insolubility in 

 alcohol was marked. A very small amount of a phenol was extracted by aqueous 

 alkali, it did not react with ferric chloride in alcoholic solution, and was, perhaps, 

 the phenol common to the timber. 



The specific gravity of the mixed oils at i6° C. = 0-8813. The rotation 

 t?i, = + ij-g. The refractive index at 16° C. = 1-4771. The ester content by 

 boiling was 13-82 per cent. ; in the cold, ^^ith three hours contact, it was 6-26 

 per cent. These results compare favourabh' with those obtained with the Wel- 

 lington sample under the same conditions. A portion ^vas esterised with acetic 

 anhydride in the usual way. The esterised oil had rotation rtp^-aS-i"; and it 

 having shghtly increased with the increased ester, indicated that the alcohol was 

 borneol. The amount of ester was iS-g4 per cent., so that the amount of free 

 alcohol as borneol was 4-63 per cent. This result closely approached that 

 obtained with the Trangie sample. 



No. 1. — This material was collected at Narrandera, New South \'\'ales, 350 

 miles south-west of Sydney, 25th April, IQ07. The terminal branchlets with their 

 decurrent leaves and fruits were steam distilled for six hours in the usual way, and 

 in a manner corresponding to what would be done commercially. The amount 

 of oil distilhng from 7S4 lb. of material was 70-i- oz., equal to 0-562 per cent. 

 This is a fair average yield of oil from this species. 



Material was collected from one large tree and distilled separately, this 

 was kept distinct so that the product from a single tree could be determined in 

 comparison with that from general material. The bulk of the oil was obtained 

 from the leaves of several trees as usual. 



The yield of oil from the single tree was equal to o-55g per cent. It gave 

 the following results : — Specific gravity at ^f ° C. = 0-8671 ; rotation a^ = -f- 21-2° ; 

 I 



