AUSTRALIAN MELALEUCAS AND THEIR ESSENTIAL OILS. 211 



the Gosford material. The crude oil gave the following 

 results: — 



Specific gravity at 15° O. = 0*9003. 



Rotation a D = + 6°.7. 



Refractive index at 23° = 1*4819. 



Soluble in two volumes 70 per cent, alcohol by weight. 



Saponification number for ester and free acid = 3*3. 



The lower dextro-rotation in this oil is due to the larger 

 amount of lsevo-rotatory terpenes (pinene and limonene) in 

 this oil than in that from the Rose Bay material, thus 

 neutralising to a certain extent the dextro-rotation of the 

 alcohol. 



On rectification, two per cent, came over below 183° C; 

 this consisted of water, aldehydes (benzaldehyde distinctly 

 noticed) cineol and terpenes. Between 183-265° 9 per 

 cent, distilled. The terpenes were proved in the Gosford 

 material to consist of laevo-rotatory pinene and laevo- 

 rotatory limonene and dipentene. Between 265 and 274° 

 10 per cent, came over, and between 274 - 277° no less than 

 56 per cent, distilled. (This fraction consisted largely 

 of the sesquiterpene alcohol characteristic of this species.) 

 Between 275 — 280° 15 per cent, distilled. These fractions 

 gave the following results : — 



Sp. gr. at 15° C. 



Rotation a D 



Ref. index at 22°C. 



First fraction 0*8702 



- 19°.4 



1*4719 



Second fraction 0*8980 



+ 6°.9 



1*4834 



Third fraction 0*9074 



+ 12°.6 



1*4871 



Fourth fraction 0*9075 



+ 7°.4 



1*4898 



A portion of the crude oil was boiled for two hours with 

 acetic anhydride and sodium acetate in the ordinary way, 

 and the acetylated oil prepared as usual. 1*5316 gram, 

 required 0*1624 gram. KOH, therefore the saponification 

 number = 106*04, representing 42 per cent, of an alcohol 

 {C15H26O). Thus nearly half this oil consisted of this 



