256 



Dr. A. E. Everest. 



the author by Mr. Costin, of the Horticultural Department, University 

 College, Eeading, to whom, as also to Messrs. Sutton and Sons, Eeading, for 

 their interest and help, the author desires to express his thanks. 



The flowers were an almost dead black colour, and, when viewed by 

 strong transmitted light, a deep purple to purple-black. The petals only 

 were gathered, and these were air-dried, in the shade, at room-temperature, 

 then completely dried in vamo [over cone, sulphuric acid and caustic 

 soda (solid)], powdered, and stored for use. 



Contrary to anticipation, the isolation and purification of the anthocyan 

 pigment gave but little trouble, but the method used by the author prior to 

 the publication of the paper on the blue-black Pansy pigment by Willstatter 

 and Weil {loc. cit.) was not quite so expeditious as that described by those 

 authors. 



Although Willstatter and Weil described their flowers as being blue- 

 black, a description that could not hold for the decidedly purple-black 

 flowers used by the present author, the data given by them concerning the 

 pigment they obtained made it appear most probable that it was identical 

 with that obtained by the present author. 



The author anticipated obtaining a cyanidin derivative, but, having 

 isolated a quantity of the pigment, he was prevented on account of lack of 

 time from proceeding to the identification of the product and to the com- 

 pletion of the isolation and identification of the yellow pigment that had 

 been shown to be present, and proved capable of giving rise to anthocyan 

 by the author's reduction method, as this involved a considerable undertak- 

 ing. The timely appearance of the paper by Willstatter and Weil, in which 

 it was shown that they had obtained a delphinidin derivative, of which very 

 clear and characteristic description was given, and which further contained 

 data concerning delphinidin itself that greatly facilitates its identification, 

 has enabled the author to show, with but little work and with the small 

 quantity of pigment he had available, that his pigment is undoubtedly a 

 derivative of delphinidin, not of cyanidin, and is without doubt identical 

 with Willstatter and Weil's violanin. It is entirely due to the above publi- 

 cation that the author has been able to bring together his observations in 

 their present form, for beyond the fact that it enabled the author so readily 

 to identify his anthocyan pigment as a delphinidin derivative, this identifica- 

 tit)n made possible some conclusions as to the yellow sap-pigment also. 



If the yellow sap-pigment present is that which corresponds to the anthocyan, 

 then, in this case, it should be a myricetin glucoside. Myricetin differs 

 from all the other known flavonol and flavone sap-pigments in that it 

 dissolves in dilute alkalis forming a green solution, which passes on exposure 



