227 



The crude oil was somewhat dark coloured, but the colour was easily removed 

 when the oil was agitated with a very dilute soda solution ; it was then a light 

 lemon colour. It was soluble in 7 volumes 80 per cent, alcohol. The odour 

 was more aromatic than with the oils of the Callitris generally, except C. Tasmanica, 

 and resembled less the ordinary leaf oils of this genus. This was due to the fact 

 that there was an almost entire absence of borneol and its ester; the somewhat 

 large amount of ester being almost entirely geranyl-acetate. This was shown by 

 the ease with which it was saponified in the cold, and the alcohol when separated 

 from the ester determinations was found to be geraniol ; it had the odour of geraniol 

 and was readily oxidised to citral. The acid of the ester was acetic. The terpenes 

 were probably pinene, Isevo-limonene, and dipentene. The yield of oil being so 

 small, the amount at our disposal did not allow of complete separation of its con- 

 stituents, but a full investigation was made with the oil of C. Tasmanica, a some- 

 what closely agreeing Callitris obtained from Glen Regis and from Tasmania. 



The specific gravity of the crude oil at 11° C. = 0-8826; rotation a^ — 19-2; 

 refractive index at 25° C. = 1-4747. The saponification number of the uncleared 

 oil was 87-8, equal to 30-73 per cent geranyl-acetate; and that of the cleared oil 

 86-86, equal to 30-43 per cent. In the cold, with four hours' contact, the saponi- 

 fication number was 85-08, equal to 29-78 per cent, of ester. The saponification 

 number for the free acids was, therefore, 0-94. 



The optical activity shows the presence of Isevo-rotatory terpenes, the 

 principal one being, most probably, Isevo-rotatory limonene, similar to that in 

 the oil of C. Tasmanica. The results of the above determination show this species 

 to be more closely allied with the group to which C. calcarata belongs, than to that 

 which includes C. glauca. Although the Callitris species from Glen Regis and 

 Tasmania are closely related, yet those trees are not identical with the Sydney trees. 



Crude Oil from the Leaves of Callitris rhomboidea. 



Locality and 

 Date 



Specific 

 Gravity ° C. 



The Spit, near Sydney. 

 25/i/'o7. 



0-8826 



Rotation 



Refractive 

 Index ° C. 



I 



Ester per cent .lEster per cent , 



by boiling . in the cold. 



- 19-2 1-4747 @ 25 



30-43 



29-78 



Yield 

 per cent. 



0-0335 



IV. TIMBER. 



(fl) Economic. 



Occasionally a fair-sized (60 feet) Callitris, but its timber is not much used, 

 as the tree only occurs sparsely in the bush. 



