UNDESCRIBED DARWINIA AND ITS ESSENTIAL OIL. 185 



The investigation of the oil of Darwinia fascicularis 1 

 showed the ester to be geranyl-acetate, the alcohol being 

 separated in a pure condition. The amount of oil of the 

 present species, at our disposal, did not permit the isolation 

 of the alcohol, but from the saponification results in the 

 oold, together with the odour of the saponified oil, it is 

 evident that the principal ester in this species is geranyl- 

 acetate also. 



Determination of the chief terpene. 



When the oil was distilled directly a considerable portion 

 came over between 156 - 160° 0., and no less than 30 per 

 cent, distilled below 165° O. This fraction had a pinene- 

 like odour and had : — 



Specific gravity at 15° O. = 0*872. 



Optical rotation a D + 41*6°. 



Refractive index at 20° = 1*4685. 



The nitrosochloride was prepared with it, and this, when 

 purified, melted at 104° O. It is thus evident that the 

 lower boiling terpene in this oil is a highly dextrorotatory 

 pinene. 



The pinene in the oil of D. taxifolia is laevorotatory, 

 while the corresponding terpene in the oil of D. fasicularis 

 has a dextro rotation. The presence of a small quantity 

 of a volatile acid with a higher molecular weight than that 

 of acetic was also determined in the esters of D. fascicul- 

 aris, so that the resemblances between the characters of 

 the oils of D. grandiflora and D. fascicularis are distinctly 

 shown. 



For comparison the results obtained with the crude oils 

 of the three species of Darwinia are here tabulated. 



1 This Journal, Vol. xxxin, (1899), p. 163. 



