398 J. H. MAIDEN AND H. G. SMITH. 
In dilute soda solution it does not dissolve, but partly forms a 
mucilagenous thick syrupy liquid, which is precipitated by alcohol 
as a slimy mass, but no arabin appears to form even on long boil- 
ing, neither does the solution become yellow with alkali. This 
precipitate when dissolved by boiling in dilute hydrochloric acid 
solution, is precipitated apparently as arabin by alcohol. The 
original swollen mass is also dissolved on heating with dilute 
hydrochloric acid, forming arabin, and is precipitated apparently 
as arabin on the addition of alcohol. 
The amount of material at our disposal was too small to deter- 
mine whether arabinose could be formed by treatment with dilute 
sulphuric acid, but the mode of formation, appearance, and 
behaviour of the gum to reagents, indicate that it consists almost 
wholly of pararabin, which does not form arabinose when thus 
treated. From the above it will be observed that this exudation 
resembles in its properties the gums of the Australian Sterculiacez.? 
Acacia Oswaldi, F.v.M. (N. O. Leguminosz). 
“ Miljee.” 
Collected at Nelyambo, Darling River, N. 8. Wales. 
This sample has all the appearance of ordinary commercial gum 
arabic ; some of the pieces are colourless. In appearance, taste, 4 
solubility and reactions with reagents, it differs in no respect from 
gum arabic. It is however very acid in aqueous solution, and is 
perhaps deficient in adhesiveness and viscosity to the best gum 
arabic. It is identical with the gums obtained from several other 
species of Acacia growing in the dry western portion of New 
South Wales, which have great commercial possibilities, providing 
they are obtained in sufficient quantities. It gave no precipitate 
with ferric chloride, nor did it form a jelly with that reagent. 
It became of a lemon colour when treated with dilute soda, it gave 
- ho reaction with HgCl, nor with borax solution. This sample 
when examined contained moisture equal to 15-307 per cent. and 
ash equal to 2-21 per cent, 
1 Of. Sterculia gum ; its similarities and dissimilarities to Tragacanth- 
Occurrence of Pararabin in Sterculia Gum.—Pharm. Journ. [3] XX» 35) 
