^36 .::Ky.rV;<- PROrESSOR E. RAY LANRESTER. 



occurring in the chlorophyll bodies of normal green plants^ 

 whilst what had been taken by Schenk as well as by myself 

 for chlorophyll in Bonellia, was shown to be distinct from any 

 of the pigments of the chlorophyll group, although much 

 resembling in its seven-banded absorption spectrum and its 

 red fluorescence certain combinations of that group. 



To the pigment of Bonellia Mr. Sorby gave the name 

 Bonelleine. The physiological evidence of correspondence 

 between this substance and the green pigment of plants has 

 recently been sought for by Mr. Geddes with a negative 

 result. He has found that Bonellia does not in the living 

 State when exposed to sunlight decompose carbonic acid with 

 liberation of oxygen gas. 



. Mr. Sorby established the identity of the green pigment 

 of Spongilla with that of the chlorophyll bodies of Itfgher 

 plants by obtaining from it and identifying with the spec- 

 troscope the following substances soluble in carbon bisul- 

 phide, viz. blue chlorophyll, yellow chlorophyll, orange 

 xanthophyll, xanthophyll, yellow xanthophyll, and lichno- 

 xanthine. Pie also obtained a small quantity of a yellow 

 substance soluble in water, differing from the chrysophyll of 

 higher plants. The substances found in Spongilla soluble 

 in carbon bisulphide are precisely those which are present 

 in the ordinary chlorophyll bodies of green plants, in the 

 same association, but their proportions are a little different 

 in the two cases, according to Mr. Sorby. 



/^o physiological cvide)ice as to the nature of the green 

 substance present in Spongilla has been brought forward by 

 any observer, and I have not made any experiments in that 

 direction. It is still not known whether the green parts of 

 Spongilla decompose carbonic acid and liberate oxygen in 

 the presence of sunlight. 



The morpJiological evidence relating to it has also until 

 quite recently been neglected. An account of my observa- 

 tions iu this respect will be found below. 



Thus, then, Spongilla remains the only animal in which 

 the presence of a green pigment identical with that of the 

 chlorophyll-bodies of plants has been definitely established 

 by chemical and spectroscopical investigation. The full 

 corroboration of the identity by physiological and morpho- 

 logical evidence is still wanting. 



Pigment of Chsetopterus and Pentacrinns. — It would be 

 easy to obtain the chlorophyll-like pigment of Chsetopterus 

 in large quantity, and I anticipate that it would be found to 

 be similar to if not identical with Bonelleine. 



In this connection I would draw attention to the interest- 



