39S 



As it occurs in this oil, together with a small quantity of hevo-rotator^' 

 pinene and dextro-rotatory limonene, it was, of course, impossible to obtain it 

 pure bv fractional distillation; but by continued redistillations lo per cent, ot the 

 oil was obtained, boiling between 165-166° C, which gave the results recorded 

 above. 



The presence of the small amount of Dacrj^'dene still remaining with the 

 pinene fraction, raised the melting point of the nitrosochloride prepared with 

 that substance several degrees, and no melting point less than 110° C. was 

 obtained. 



Dacr\'dene forms a liquid bromide, and no crystalline product was formed 

 when the oil was saturated with dry h^^drochloric acid. Scarcely any colour was 

 produced when concentrated sulphuric acid was added to a solution of the terpene 

 in acetic anhydride, but when treated with nitric acid a yellow nitro-compound 

 was obtained. When dissolved in light petroleum and treated with sodium 

 nitrate and acetic acid, no crystalline product separated, but after some hours, 

 a thick, dark-coloured mass formed at the junction of the liquids. After two 

 daj's this was washed in ether and then dissolved in ether-alcohol, from which 

 solution on evaporation a yellow-coloured substance separated, and after drying 

 on a porous plate an ochre-yellow powder was left. This darkened much at about 

 130° C. and melted with decomposition at about 150° C. It readily dissolved 

 in nitrobenzine, but did not become blue on heating. On further investigation it 

 may become possible, perhaps, to prepare a nitrosonitrate more definite in 

 character with this terpene. 



The higher boiling portion of the leaf oil contained the methyl ether of 

 eugenol, and veratric acid was prepared from it by o.xidation. This methyl ether 

 is the main constituent of the oil from the timber of this tree. 



Experimental. 



This material was (jbtained from the (iortloii ki\er, on the West Coast of 

 Tasmania, and distilled on tlie i8th September, igo8, the leaves with terminal 

 branchlets only being used. The oil was difficult to obtain, and it was necessary to 

 steam distil the leaves for eleven hours before tlir wliolc df the oil came over. The 

 amount obtained was equal to 0-5 per cent. 



The crude oil was of a very light amber colour, and the odour somewhat 

 resembled that given by the oil from the wood, thus indicating the ])resence of the 

 methyl ether of eugenol, as the constituents of the wood oil had previously been 

 determined. The leaf oil was very mobile, and had a low specific gravity. As 

 it was mostly a terpene oil, it was but little soluble in alcohol, and it required 

 one volume of absolute alcohol to form a clear sdluliciii, but it was soluble in all 

 proportions afterwards. 



