45 8 SCIENCE PROGRESS. 



The substance (gorgonin) of the horny skeleton of 

 Gorgonia cavolinii contains iodine in organic combination. 

 Gorgonin yields a decomposition with barium hydroxide an 

 amido-acid containing iodine (iodo-gorgonic rtr?V/QH 8 NI0 2 ) 

 which is crystalline, and has the composition of a iodo- 

 amido-butyric acid ; its constitution is, however, not yet 

 certain. 



The living substance of the gorgonia contains no iodine 

 or only the merest traces ; it is of proteid nature and on 

 decomposition with hydrochloric acid yields, lysine and 

 probably lysatine. 1 



Gorgonin is also a proteid, it yields on decomposition 

 with hydrochloric acid, leucine, tyrosine, lysine, lysatine (?), 

 iodo-gorgonic acid and ammonia. 



W. D. Halliburton. 



According to Hedin's recent work (Zeit. physiol. Chem., xx., 186 ; 

 xxi., 155, 297), lysatine is a mixture of lysine and arginine. Arginine 

 (C 6 H 14 N 4 0,) is a base originally separated from vegetable tissues by 

 Schulze and Steiger (ibid., xi., 43 ; Ber. d. deutsch. Chem. Ges., xxiv., 

 2701), and subsequently found by Hedin to be a constant decomposition 

 product of proteids and albuminoids. It yields urea on treating its silver 

 salt with barium hydroxide. 



