PHYSIOLOGY OF THE INVERTEBRATA. 213 



solid state (/.«'., examined in the compressoriuin) the spectrum 

 of ha3mochromogen. It may be remarked that I'rofessor F. 

 Hoppe-Seyler* found that when solutions of hasmoglobin 

 are treated with potassium or sodium hydroxide in the 

 absence of air, the hgemoglobin is converted into ha^mochro- 

 mogen. In the solid tissues of the Actinia, says MacMunn, 

 a similar reaction occurs, but in the solution used to extract 

 the pigment the htematin becomes oxidised as it comes out 

 of the tissue, and shows the alkaline h^matin spectrum, 

 which, however, can be reconverted into htemochromogen by 

 the addition of ammonium sulphide. 



Mac]\Iunn could not obtain acid ha3matin, but he did 

 succeed in converting the pigment into ha3matoporphyrin. 

 " By digesting portions of an Actinia in sulphuric acid, and 

 filtering through asbestos, a purple-red solution was obtained, 

 which showed bands like those of acid hasmatoporphyriu, a 

 little rectified spirit being added to the acid solution ; but 

 the band nearer the violet is not placed exactly in the same 

 position as the corresponding band of htematoporphyrin 

 obtained from haemoglobin. The first band extended from 

 X 605 to X 595, and the second from X 563 to X 55 1, but owing 

 to the presence of biliverdin and proteids these measure- 

 ments may not be quite reliable ; still, they possess a certain 

 value when the results are compared with other cases. If 

 this spectrum be that of a kind of htematoporphyriu, it ought 

 to be changeable into alkaline hasmatoporphyrin, and such 

 is the case." From the above remarks there can be no doubt 

 that in Actinia mcscmhryanthcniuiih a pigment is present 

 which can be changfed into hgemochromoo-en and htemato- 

 porphyrin. 



MacMunn has also extracted (by means of alcohol and 

 alcohol and sulphuric acid) the green pigment situated 

 beneath the ectoderm of many specimens of this species 

 of Acti/iia. This pigment gives the reactions of biliverdin 

 (CiqH^oN.O. ?). " Hence A. mesembi-ycmtkeniurii contains in 



* Zeitschrlft fur I'hi/siologische Chemle, vol. i, p. 138. 



