XVI. ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. 



disulphide and petroleum spirit. It forms a well crystallised 

 silver salt. Ferric chloride gives a light orange precipitate in the 

 solution of the ammonium salt. Copper sulphate forms a bluish- 

 green precipitate. Barium or calcium chlorides do not give pre- 

 cipitates. The acid is uusaturated and forms a dibromide. The 

 molecular weight of the acid, determined by its silver salt was 

 near 215. An acid having the formula C 14 H 18 2 has a molecular 

 weight 218, and considering the acid as monobasic the formula 

 of the ester would be CigH^COOOgH^ Solution in nitric acid 

 gave a crystalline acid melting at 113° C, this is the melting 

 point of cumic acid, it had also other characteristic of that acid. 

 If it is proved to be cumic acid, then we may consider eudesmic 

 acid to be cumyl-angelic acid C ]4 H 18 2 . By oxidation of the side 

 chain of this, cuminaldehyde might be obtained. Cuminaldehyde 

 is a frequently occurring constituent in Eucalyptus oils, and it 

 may be that this has some connection with eudesmic acid. The 

 valeraldehyde known to be present in Eucalyptus oils may also be 

 connected with the amyl alcohol. It is suggested that it is the 

 presence of this ester that gives to Eucalyptus oils their charac- 

 teristic odour. The author shows that esters are present in fair 

 amount in the oils of E. botryoides, E. saligna and E. rostrata, 

 and that an aromatic alcohol, either linalooi or geraniol, is present 

 in the oil of E. patentinervis, over 16% of free alcohol being proved. 

 The saponified oil of E. patentinervis has a fine odour. Citral 

 also occurs in this oil, proved by its characteristic reactions. The 

 name eudesmic acid is from Robert Brown's name for the genus 

 " Eudesinia." 



3. "Note on a new meteorite from New South Wales," by It. T. 

 Baker, f.l.s., Curator, Technological Museum, Sydney. 



The meteorite described in thi3 paper was found early in 

 January of this year, two miles from Bugaldi, a postal town 

 fifteen miles north-west of Coonabarabran. It is pear shaped and 

 is nearly five inches long and three inches wide at the broadest 

 part. It belongs to that class of meteorites known as siderites, 

 and is probably composed of iron and nickel. It has a well defined, 



