646 
DR. C. A. MAC MUNN ON THE CHROMATOLOGY OF ACTINIA. 
chrome into solution to a slight extent by extracting parts in which it was seen to he 
present—by preliminary spectroscopic examination—with glycerin, which also extracts 
—to a slight extent—the hsematin-yielding pigment. But from the glycerin it could 
not be obtained in sufficient quantity in the solid state to be thoroughly studied. 
Knowing that various ferments can be precipitated out of glycerin extracts of organs 
by means of absolute alcohol I tried to precipitate these pigments in the same way, 
but failed, owing to dearth of material and the presence of mucus, &c. I shall, 
however, attempt this again when I have an opportunity. Examination of glycerin 
extracts, however, enabled me to decide the question referred to above, namely : 
whether Moseley’s Actiniochrome yields hsemochronrogen or not. 
Every specimen of Actinia mesembryanlhemum, whether its colour was red, reddish- 
brown, brown, or greenish-brown, gave to the glycerin, after some days’ extraction, a 
certain amount of colouring matter, which in every case could be made to change into 
hcemochromogen, while Actiniochrome never could be changed into it; hence the 
respective pigments are very different. One is a respiratory colouring matter, the 
other is an ornamental one. 
If a glycerin extract is made of Actiniochrome, a band may be seen from about \ 593 
to A 566 (centre at A 579). On adding to this caustic soda the band is moved 
slightly nearer violet, and then on adding sulphide of ammonium it is only darkened. 
If a glycerin extract be made of the ectoderm of an anemone yielding the broad 
band of actiniohsematin, referred to before, it gives a band at D and one between 
I) and E, spectrum 17, Chart I. If now sulphide of ammonium be added, no change, 
or only darkening, of the second band takes place; but if caustic soda or caustic potash 
be added previously, and afterwards sulphide of ammonium, the spectrum is changed 
into that of haemochromogen, spectrum 18, Chart I. 
The caustic soda in this case does not, however, cause the spectrum of alkaline 
hsematin to appear, but removes the band at D altogether. 
In such glycerin solutions of Actinia mesembryanthemum the first band reads from 
A G13 to A 576, the second from A 566 to A 545'5, and generally a third from A 479 
to A 458'5. After caustic soda the first band disappears and the second is made very 
faint; on adding ammonium sulphide the hgemochromogen bands read : first from 
A564’5 to A 554’5, and tire second from A 537 to A524‘5. I reserve for the end of 
this paper the conclusions which one may draw as to the functions of the hsematin- 
yielding pigment. This Actinia, without doubt, contains a pigment yielding hsematin 
and hsematoporphyrin, and perhaps it may save confusion to name the mother-sub¬ 
stance provisionally Actiniohcematin. In none of the specimens of this Actinia 
examined could I find any “ yellow cells.” It appears that this hsematin-yielding 
pigment does not give the same spectrum in brown specimens as in red ; but the 
spectrum of the glycerin extract of red Actiniae has a close resemblance to that of the 
spectrum of the solid ectoderm and other parts of brown specimens. This does not 
