ON THE CHEMISTRY OF AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTS. 207 
above its melting point it decomposes, frothing up and evolving 
water ; on further heating it melts quietly and gives a distillate 
. containing acetic acid and tar, and leaves a residue of charcoal. 
Nitric acid attacks it, and on warming dissolves it, forming a 
little oxalic acid, but no picric acid, though water precipitates from 
the yellow solution an pone nitro compound which forms an 
explosive compound with potash. 
The solution in hot aohel, obtained after treating the resin 
the last are mixed with a little of some flocculent substance. By 
allowing the solution to cool to 40°, and then pouring off the 
liquid and re-crystallizing the solid obtained, from boiling alcohol, 
treating the crystals at 30° with ether in insuflicient “quantity 
for complete solution, the acetate is obtained pure whilst a neutral 
crystalline substance remains behind. The substance crystallized 
from alcohol is in the form of firm —- resembling ch olestrin, 
and from ether in flat six-sided ahies Tts composition is 
represented by the formula ©,, H,; O., QO, Hy (Cig Hy») O; » It 
melts at 118° to 120° and solidifies at 80° to a transparent mass, 
which becomes opaque and crystalline on standing. At a higher 
temperature it distils unchanged, but if rapidly heated the dis- 
tillate smells of acetic acid and is somewhat rancid. It is brittle 
and strongly electric when rubbed, is easily soluble in hot alcohol, 
acetic acid, acetone, chloriform, ether; benzine, and turpen tine, 
and is not precipitated from its alcoholic solution by neutral lead 
acetate or cupric ace 
ycoceryl acetate is pcm vetrtend by dilute nitric acid into a resin, 
whilet it easily dissolves i in the concentrated acid, and is precipi- 
it and the solution becomes brown on stan ing, and on diluting 
Precipitated. It forms with chlorine, bromine, and iodine, resinous 
“mpounds, but if the last two are added to a warm alcoholic 
Solution, crystals of a colourless bromine or iodine compound are 
depositer Melted caustic potash decomposes it with evolution of 
hydrogen, but it is not affected by boiling potash solution. 
: um alcohol decomposes it, forming acetate of sodium an 
Q SYcocerylic alcohol. 
3 Syeoverylic alcohol C,H, 0, is homologous with benzylic aleohol 
fo O, and cymylic alcohol Coo H,, O, is Rech by precipitation 
sodium alcohol solution by water and lization 
hol. It then forms thin ps vbee ceunabliiee caffeine, but 
ted in masses. It melts at 90° to a liquid which 
