ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. xxix. 



ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS, OCTOBER 5, 1898. 



The General Monthly Meeting of the Society was held at the 

 Society's House, No. 5 Elizabeth- street North, on Wednesday 

 evening, October 5th, 1898. 



The President, G. H. Knibbs, f.r.a.s., in the Chair. 



Thirty-six members and four visitors were present. 



The minutes of the preceding meeting were read and confirmed. 



The certificates of three candidates were read for the third time, 

 of one for the second time, and of one for the first time. 



The following gentlemen were duly elected ordinary members 

 of the Society : — 



Alexander, Frank Lee, Cement Maker ; Druitt-street. 



Behrendt, Peter, Engineer ■ O'Connell-street. 



Kerry, Charles Henry, Photographer ; 310 George-street. 



THE FOLLOWING PAPERS WERE READ : 



1. " On the Pinenes of the Oils of the genus Eucalyptus, Part 1," 

 by Henry G. Smith, f.c.s., Technological Museum, Sydney. 

 This paper treated of the investigation of both dextrorotatory 

 and lsevorotatory pinenes found existing in large quantity in the 

 oils obtained from two new species of Eucalypts growing in New 

 South Wales. These two species belong to the group of Eucalypts 

 known as the Stringybarks, and botanically both have many 

 resemblances. The oils obtained from their leaves by steam dis- 

 tillation were found to consist principally of the terpene, pinene, 

 and although the oils resembled each other most markedly in 

 many respects, it was found that while the pinene from E. dextro- 

 pinea rotated the ray of light to the right, the pinene from the 

 other species (E. Icevopinea) rotated the ray to the left. The 

 crude oil of E. dextropinea when redistilled gave 88 per cent, 

 between 156° and 172° C, and on final rectification of the first 

 fractions, this dextropinene was found to have the following 

 characteristics: boiling point 156° C, specific gravity at ^° = 0-875, 



