ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. xllll. 



ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS, DECEMBER 6, 1899. 



The General Monthly Meeting of the Society was held at the 

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

 evening, December 6th, 1899. 



The President, W. M. Hamlet, f.c.s., f.i.c, in the Chair. 

 Thirty-four members and one visitor were present. 

 The minutes of the preceding meeting were read and confirmed. 

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

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



The following gentlemen were duly elected ordinary members 

 of the Society : — 



McTaggart, J. N. Campbell, Bachelor of Engineering (Syd.), 



16 Lugar Street, Waverley. 

 Smith, R. G., m.Sc. (Dur.), b. Se. (Edin.), Macleay Bacteri- 

 ologist ; Linnean Society's House, Elizabeth Bay. 



THE FOLLOWING PAPERS WERE READ : 



1. "On the Darwinias of Port Jackson and their Essential Oils," 

 By R. T. Baker, f.l.s., and H. G. Smith, f.c.s., Technological 

 Museum, Sydney. 

 The authors show that one of the species of the genus — the 

 shrub, botanically known as Darwinia fascicularis, A. Rudge — 

 which occurs plentifully on the sandstone formation around Port 

 Jackson, is a plant of great commercial importance in regard to 

 its essential oil. This plant belongs to the natural order Myrtacese, 

 a genus so prolific in oil yielding species. The oil consists principally 

 of the important ester geranyl acetate, the least amount of this 

 constituent being 56*7 per cent, and the greatest 65 - l per cent., 

 obtained from the oil distilled in November. Besides this ester 

 13-11% of free alcohol was determined, calculated as geraniol. 

 The average yield of oil determined on several distillations from 

 material obtained in March, September, October and November 

 was 0*318 per cent. It was shown that by careful clipping on 

 cultivated plants a yield of oil should be obtainable of not less 



