JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS to the tropical exotics--namely, that in the simplest terms these odours may be segregated into two major groups--the jasmin-rose and the violet-lily. In parenthesis, regarding the great lily of the valley family, this includes such items as Solomon's seal, fritil- lary, star of Bethlehem, tuberose and asphodel. A further grouping of flowers almost as beautiful as the lilies comprises the amaryllids, of which the snowdrop is the simplest member, but in the more advanced group are the daffodils and narcissi, leading to the more complicated botanical structure of the crocus, iris and orchids. Many varying lists of odoriferous flowering shrubs and plants can be compiled but, without being dog- matic, I have reason to think that the results, if a sufficient number of additional items are selected, will also show a close alignment with what I have already put forward. SOME INDISPENSABLE AROMATICS At this point it is opportune to refer again to Table I, because it has been seen that, among the several groupings, there is a consider- able tonal similarity, until this is deflected by the addition of certain essential oils likewise this is true with the items listed in Table VII, all of which can be enriched by a similar addition of appropriate essen- tial oils, but more particularly with items from a relatively small collec- tion of synthetic adjuncts, some of which are not found in Nature. In its simplest form the following corn- pilation can be regarded as contain- ing the indispensables: Anisic aidehyde, the acetophen- ones, amyl and methyl salicylates, benzylidene acetone, diphenyl oxide methane, isoeugenol, the ionones and methyl ionones, methyl benzoate, methyl heptine carbonate, the p.- cresol ethers, phenylacetaldehyde and its dimethyl acetal.* It is my considered opinion that, when some of these auxiliaries are used in the same restrained manner as in the earlier procedures, namely, the addition of only a few drops of the essential oil to a pint of mixed extraits, then the strength, tonal beauty and tenacity of such simple floral perfumes compounded by this technique is a revelation when com- pared with some of the modern overloaded and heavily fixed "crea- tions." To conclude this section, I would. reiterate my opinion that, suitably modified, the basic principles of colour combination can be employed in perfumery composition. If a simple schedule of two-fold blossom odour admixture is first prepared and the results noted from practical experiment, although we have no * This list may well be compared witl• that given by Y.-R. Naves ("Natural Perfume Materials") of important natural constituents that frequently occur throughout the whole range of flower oils, namely: benzyl alcohol, benzyl esters and ethers,, including methyl benzoate phenylethyl alcohol and its isothiocyanate, cinnamic alcohol, cinnamyl acetate, cinna- maldehyde, cuminal, methyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, paracresol, dimethyl hydroquinone, eugenol, isoeugenol, methyl eugenol, vanillin, heliotropin and indole. --Editor. 194

SIMPLE FLORAL PERFUMES accepted nomenclature to describe such unions, a foundation is at least prepared for the understanding of the more balanced versions of the triads. How far my own versions of such end-points are accep{able, how- ever, must be left to the opinion of other workers in this field. Never- theless, I should like to conclude this essay into what I think are the fundamentals of elementary floral combination by quoting from the last paragraph of the Naarden News for June 1953, which says ' "... the composing of a perfume is an art, or in other words, it is based upon human feelings, of which it is a medium of expression." SELECTED FLORAL ODOURS (A) HONEYSUCKLE. The Wood- bine or Woodbind is sometimss re- ferred to in the older herbals as Caprifoly, from the natural order Caprifoliace•e, this "goat's-leaf" as- sociation being also observed in the French and German names for this plant, namely, chivr•feuille des bols and Geissblat. Although there are many varieties to be encountered, the perfume is a very elusive note to capture, but as this is really a night- scented flower, I would' select the Lonicera japonica as a general repre- sentative of the series simulating the fragrance of the flower by a carefully proportioned blend of jas- rain, neroli and rose, and etherealis- ins with tuberose and cassie. Inci- dentally, for those who care to read further, W. H. Hudson, in "Hamp- shire Days," has some very interest- ins impressions upon the nocturnal fragrance of the honeysuckle. (K) CERINTHE. From honey- suckle to honey is but a short step to simulate the neroli-rose backing of the former and accentuating with appropriate phenylacetates and ren- dering the note slightly violet and cenanthic, is a fairly simple tech- nique. Such a procedure is my impression of the cerinthe--the name signifying honeycomb in Greek, but more obviously so in the Fren•h-- lg rndlinet. The anglicised form is derived from the Itahan Cerinta, in which country it is a very com- mon plant, having attractive purple flowers with a yellow tube-like receptacle laden with the fragrant honey juice--hence the name, in the older English herbals, of the Great Honeywort. (Q) FREESIA. Not all the freesias exhibit a pleasant fragrance, some varieties having an odour not unlike that of the knotted figwort (scrophu- laria nodosa) which shares with certain South African flowers, such as those of the Stapelia hirsuta, a complex indoloid scent resembling decaying meat. The conservatory freesia which does, however, find fayour seems to be the F. refracta but, bearing in mind that it is a member of the N.O. Iridea•, one can seek something from the violet for the base of the con- ventional perfume, as well as from the lily, as other species include the lotus and the Ixias and similar dwarf gladiolea• there is also somewhat of a honeyed-rose background, so that the build-up proceeds along a 195