For the preparation of the veratric acid six grams of the 

 oil were treated with a neutral solution of potassium per- 

 manganate, the oxidation being completed in an acid solu- 

 tion. When cold, the product was extracted with ether, 

 the ether distilled off, the residue treated with dilute soda, 

 filtered, acidified, the crystalline acid separated and purified 

 by repeatedly recrystallising from hot alcohol. The crystals 

 melted at 178—179° C; they were slightly soluble in water, 

 readily in ether, but less readily in cold alcohol. 0'1926 

 gram dissolved in excess of deeinormal soda, and titrated 

 back, had required 10'6 cc. * NaOH for neutralisation, 

 representing a molecular weight 181*7, O,.H 10 O4 = 182. 

 These results show this acid to be veratric acid. The 

 |irinri|>;il constituent in the leaf oil of this species of Mela- 

 leuca is, from the foregoing results, shown to be methyl- 

 eugenol (allyl veratrol) G 5 Hu*C 3 H 3 (1) *OCH 3 (3) OOH, (4) 

 and that the odour of the oil is mainly due to that substance. 



(3) M. styphelioides, Sm., in Trans. Linn. Soc. Ill, p. 275. 



Botany.— Bentham in his Flora Australiensis, Vol. Ill, 

 p. 144, gives ;i ^oiiil description of this Tea Tree, so with 

 that of the original there is no need to reproduce one here. 

 The material examined by us agrees in every respect with 

 what both these authors say concerning it. It appears to 

 be constant in characters throughout its wide geographical 

 distribution. 



Chemistry.-Only traces of an essential oil can be obtained 

 from the leaves of this species by steam distillation. 128 lbs. 

 of leaves and branchlets collected at Belmore, near Sydney, 

 in June 1907, were distilled for some hours, but only a bare 

 film of oil was noticed on the surface of the water in the 

 receiver, and this could not be collected. To be more 

 certain on this point other material was obtained from 

 Belmore in April, 1908. This was also steam distilled for 



