1906.] PLACENTA IN UNGULATES. 87 



globin of the foetal blood which was included, of covirse, in the 

 powder. This, however, is not the case. At Dr. MacMunn's 

 suggestion I took some pure haemoglobin (from centrifugalised 

 blood) and treated it in exactly the same way — that is, dried, 

 pulverised, and boiled it in absolute alcohol. The alcohol turned 

 only a faint straw-yellow colour and showed no bands whatever. 

 I sent my solutions to Dr. MacMunn, who has most kindly svxb- 

 mitted them to a thorough spectroscopic investigation. 



I take this opportunity of expressing my great indebtedness to 

 him for the trovible he has taken, and for his courtesy in permitting 

 me to publish his report, which I now give verbatim. 



I. Solution obtained by the first of the two methods described 



above from the foetal cotyledons of the Cow. 



" Solution greenish yellow, shows no bands, absorbs small bit of 

 violet end. This fluid evaporated down on water-bath leaves a 

 greyish-brown residue with a peculiar smell and resinous appear- 

 ance. This residue is soluble in ether, yellowish solution, giving 

 no bands but absorbing a little bit of the violet end as before. 

 On evaporating this a brownish residue is left, this soluble in 

 chloroform, yellowish solution. This solution shows no bands, 

 only absorbs a little bit of violet end. 



"On adding fuming nitric acid, no colour change and no 

 spectrum change. It is not, therefore, bilirubin, nor biliverdin, 

 nor a lipochrome." 



II. A solution obtained by the second of the above- described 



methods from the virgin uterus of the Sheep. 

 " The solution is greenish yeUow, has no absorption-bands, but 

 cuts off a little bit of the violet end ; is probably identical with 

 above from Cow." 



III. A solution obtained by the second method from the foetal 

 cotyledons of the Sheep. 



" Filtered, filtrate has a yellowish-red colour. 



" On spectroscopic examination two faint bands are seen in the 

 green, looking at first sight like the oxyhsemogiobin bands ; there 

 is also a slight shading in the red end of the spectrum. 



" Evaporated down by heat, it leaves a brownish oily-looking 

 residue ; a considerable portion of this is soluble in rectified spirit. 

 This solution has a yellow colour with a tinge of red ; this shows 

 two faint bands, which seem to occupy the position of the oxy- 

 hiemoglobin bands. The relative intensity of shading of these 

 bands was not, however, the same as of the oxyhsemoglobin bands. 

 Their measurements are : — 



(1) X 593 — 574, 



(2) \ 556-5 — 531. 



•' This spirit solution was now evaporated down on the water- 



