44 PROCEEDINGS OP THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



I. 0.4291 grm. substance gave 0.8242 grm. C0 2 and 0.1541 grm. H 2 0. 

 II. 0.2160 grm. substance gave 0.1342 grm. AgCl. 



Found. 



n. 



15.36 



a-Phenoxy-/3-chlor-y-oxycrotonic acid crystallizes in flat rectangu- 

 larly truncated prisms which melt at about 76°, but the melting point 

 varies with the rapidity of the heating. It is very soluble iu alcohol 

 or ether, quite readily soluble in chloroform or benzol, less soluble in 

 carbonic disulphide or ligroin, and sparingly soluble in water. On 

 heating with water it behaves like the compound containing bromine, 

 which has already been described, and is rapidly converted into the 

 lactone. This conversion is immediately effected when the acid is 

 heated to its melting point. The acid was melted by short exposure 

 to a temperature of 110°, and the fused mass thoroughly dried over 

 sulphuric acid. The loss in weight corresponded almost exactly to 

 that recpaired by one molecule of water. 



0.4068 grm. substance lost 0.0333 grm. H 2 0. 



Calculated for C^HjCOCoH^ClOg. Found. 



H 2 7.88 8.11 



The acid may also be converted into the lactone by longer con- 

 tinued heating at a temperature below its melting point, and this 

 change seems to take place slowly even at ordinary temperatures. 

 After the lapse of many weeks a combustion of the material which 

 had previously given us the proper percentage of chlorine showed 

 that the acid had in part been converted into tlie lactone. 



0.2004 grm. substance gave 0.4018 grm. C0 2 and 0.0676 grm. H 2 0. 



Baric a-phenoxy-fi-chlor-y-oxycrotonate, Ba(C 4 H 3 (OC e H 5 )C10 3 ) 2 • 

 3 H 2 0. — The barium salt of the acid is very soluble even in cold 

 water, and crystallizes in long colorless prisms. The air-dried salt 

 contains three molecules of water, all of which it loses over sulphuric 

 acid. 



