210 PROCEEDINGS OP THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



cu-Oxymethylpyroniucic acid is readily soluble in water, alcohol, 

 or glacial acetic acid. In ether it is but slightly soluble, and in 

 benzol, toluol, chloroform, or carbonic disulphide it is almost wholly 

 insoluble. The barium salt of the acid is readily soluble in water, 

 and is left as a varnish as its aqueous solution evaporates. From 

 concentrated solutions it is thrown down as a flocculent precipitate 

 on the addition of alcohol. We have not yet examined it further, 

 and we have as yet found no other salts of a more inviting character. 



The ease with which the w-brommethylpyromucic acid entered 

 into reaction with water naturally suggested the study of its be- 

 havior with other reagents. Unfortunately, we were unable to 

 pursue our investigations in this direction, but further researches 

 will be made in this Laboratory. 



In the preparation of the w-brommethylpyromucic acid small 

 quantities of the isomeric acid were also apparently formed. From 

 the chloroform mother liquors we obtained, after treatment with 

 water and baric carbonate, a small amount of a crystalline acid 

 which melted at 149-151°, and in other respects resembled the 

 brommethylpyromucic acid first described. 



Wj3( ?)-DlBROMMETHYLPYROMUCIC AdD. 



If the brommethylpyromucic acid melting at 150-151° is treated 

 with bromine in boiling chloroform, a second atom of bromine 

 enters the side-chain and a dibrommethylpyromucic acid is formed. 

 The acid which separates on cooling or after partial evaporation of 

 the solvent is washed with cold chloroform, and recrystallized from 

 boiling toluol. This acid may perhaps more economically be made 

 by the direct action of bromine at ordinary temperatures. Methyl- 

 pyromucic acid is exposed over night to the vapor of three times its 

 weight of bromine. The semiliquid product is well washed with 

 carbonic disulphide, next with chloroform, and the dry crystalline 

 residue recrystallized from boiling toluol. Our analyses are not 

 altogether satisfactory, but they leave no doubt as to the nature of 

 the body. 



I. 0.2877 grm. substance gave 0.2735 grm. C0 2 and 0.0418 grm. 



H 2 0. 

 II. 0.2086 grm. substance gave 0.2748 grm. AgBr. 



Found. 

 I. II. 



25.92 

 1.61 



56.07 



