12 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



0-2158 gum. substance gave 0-5220 grm. C0 2 and 0-0948 grra. H 2 0, 

 corresponding to C 66'0, H4 - 9. 



C 12 H 1( A requires C 66-0, H 4*6. 



Cinnaniyl-pyruvic acid crystallizes in light-yellow-coloured needles (some- 

 what darker in colour than the ester), which are slightly soluble in boiling 

 water, insoluble in cold water and petroleum ether, and very readily soluble 

 in ether, chloroform, acetone, or alcohol. It dissolves in cold dilute alkali or 

 alkaline carbonate, and is acid in reaction towards phenol-phthalein. Con- 

 centrated sulphuric acid colours the crystals red, and forms with them an 

 orange-coloured solution. An alcoholic solution of the acid gives a brownish- 

 red colour with ferric chloride. The substance is odourless ; but when its 

 alkaline solution is warmed for a few minutes, the solution becomes turbid, and 

 has a strong odour of benzylidene-acetone. 



The following colours are given to mordanted wool when boiled in a dilute 

 alcoholic solution of the substance : — 



Mordant. Colour of wool. 



Aluminium Sulphate, . . . Orange-yellow. 

 Ferric Sulphate, .... Deep reddish-brown. 

 [At the conclusion of the experimental part of this communication we have found that 

 the ethyl ester of this acid was obtained by B. Schiff and L. Gigli [Ber. 31 (1898), p. 1308] 

 by the action of an alcoholic solution of sodium ethylate on a mixture of diethyl oxalate 

 and benzylidene-acetone.] 



Methyl-y-cinnamenyl-isoxazole-a-carhoxylate. 



CeH 5 . CH : CH . C . CH : C . COOCH 3 



II I 



N O 



A solution of 15 grms. of methyl cinnamyl-pyruvate and 3 grms. of 

 hydroxylamine hydrochloride in 50 c.cs. absolute alcohol was heated under a 

 reflux condenser for about five hours. Boiling distilled water was added to 

 the light-yellow-coloured solution until a slight permanent turbidity formed ; 

 the solution was then filtered and cooled. The colourless, crystalline solid 

 which separated was re-crystallized from dilute alcohol. It melted at 111° C. 



0-2017 grm. substance gave 0-5114 grm. C0 2 , and 00998 grm. H 2 0, 

 corresponding to C 6914 and H 549. 



C 13 H n 2s T 3 requires C 68-1, H 484. 



It was therefore evident that the compound formed in this preparation 

 was not the above isoxazole. 



Now, the isoxazole X O 



II I 



OH* . CH : CH . C . CH : C . COOC 2 H 5 



requires C 69-14, H 5-4, which agrees very well with the above analysis. The 



