656 
DR. C. A. MAC MUNN ON THE CIIROMATOLOGY OF ACTINRE. 
hsematin bands appeared. The solution evidently contained a trace of the pigments 
belonging to the yellow cells which are present in the ectoderm. A. similar solution 
of the interior parts was faintly greenish-yellow, and its spectrum was the same as 
that of the last solution ; it contained no haematin; the band in red was rather 
doubtful. 
The examination of solutions of the tentacles, however, furnished more interesting 
results. 
An absolute alcohol solution of tentacles after filtering was deep yellow in colour, 
with a tinge of green, and had a red fluorescence; a deep layer, showed spectrum 3, 
Chart IV., while in a thinner layer two other bands -were present. The whole series 
of bands read as follows :—1st, X 675 to X 660 ; 2nd, X 642*5 to X 629 ; 3rd, X 593 
to X 577'5 ; 4th, X 505 to X 481 ; and 5th (about) X 458*5 to X 445. On adding a drop 
of nitric acid the colour did not appear much changed, but the bands were changed, 
as shown in spectrum 4, Chart IV., and the first two bands read from X 669 to X 649 
and X 613 to X 593 (?). 
Although very little, if any, effect was produced by ammonia, the spectrum was 
completely altered by caustic potash. 
The result of treatment with this reagent is shown in spectrum 5, Chart IV., and the 
wave lengths of these bands are as follows :—The shading on the red side came up to 
X 636, next band X 613 to X 589, next X 574 to X 553, and a shading from X 532 to 
X 513, and another X 496*5 to X 473*5 (?). This reaction distinguishes the colouring 
matter of the “ yellow cells” from enterochlorophyll, other animal chlorophylls and 
plant chlorophyll, and teaches that it is quite useless to saponify this pigment, for if 
decomposed by caustic alkali in the cold it would become further decomposed by boiling 
with it. (The change is the same as in Bunodes ballii and Anthea cereus.) 
By the tests adopted in other cases the yellow cells were found to have a cellulose 
wall and to contain starch, but they had to be treated with a weak solution of caustic 
potash, then a little acetic acid, before the reactions with iodine in iodide of potassium 
and “ Schulze’s fluid” could be distinctly seen. 
The small amount of other pigments present is very noticeable, especially w r hen we 
compare these results with those obtained in the case of Bunodes ballii and Anthea 
cereus. It would appear that the presence of the “ yellow cells” has something to do 
with the absence or suppression of respiratory pigments. 
Anthea cereus. —In some specimens the ectoderm was a pale red, also the base, and 
the tentacles a pale green, tipped with violet. In the violet apices of the tentacles 
actiniochrome was detected (see spectrum 6, Chart IV.). The rest of the tentacles gave 
a spectrum resembling that of chlorophyll,* and those of the tentacles of Bunodes ballii 
and Sagartia bellis, spectrum 8, Chart IV. If the contents of a tentacle be squeezed 
out, an entirely different spectrum is obtained from the empty tentacle, spectrum 7, 
Chart IV. It is probably the pigment to which these bands belong that is found in 
* Chlorofucin. 
