PHYSIOLOGY OF THE INVERTEBRATA. 213 



solid state (i.e., examined in the compressorium) the spectrum 

 of hsemochromogen. It may be remarked that Professor P. 

 Hoppe-Seyler* found that when solutions of hsemoglobin 

 are treated with potassium or sodium hydroxide in the 

 absence of air, the hssmoglobin is converted into heemochro- 

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

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

 the pigment the hsematin becomes oxidised as it comes out 

 of the tissue, and shows the alkaline hsematin spectrum, 

 which, however, can be reconverted into hsemochromogen by 

 the addition of ammonium sulphide. 



MacMunn could not obtain acid hasmatin, but he did 

 succeed in converting the pigment into heematoporphyrin. 

 " 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 heematoporphyrin, 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 hsmatoporphyrin 

 obtained from haemoglobin. The first band extended from 

 A 605 to X 595 , and the second from X 563 to X 5 5 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 hsematoporphyrin, it ought 

 to be changeable into alkalide heematoporphyrin, and such 

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

 that in Actinia mesembryanthemum a pigment is present 

 which can be changed into haemochromogen and heemato- 

 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 Actinia. This pigment gives the reactions of biliverdin 

 (CijHjdNjOj ?). " Hence A. mesemhryanthemum contains in 

 » Zeitschrift fur Physiohgische Cfiemie, vol. i, p. 138. 



