250 DR. C. A. MAC MUNN OR ENTEROCHLOROPHYLL, AND ALLIED PIGMENTS. 
On then agitating the soap with ether alone, this took up some colouring matter, 
becoming green and showing a fine red fluorescence. The first alcohol-ether extract 
did not take up much “chlorophyll green,” but the second was a fine green colour with 
a red fluorescence ; this would teach that the apparent loss of fluorescence on treating 
an alcohol solution of chlorophyll with caustic soda is merely due to precipitation, 
otherwise the persistence of fluorescence after saponifying cannot be accounted for. 
The bands of this solution now, however, were totally different in position from those 
of the original solution, as was always found to be the case; thus they read : 
1st, X 649 to X 627 ; 2nd, X 600 to X 582 (?); 3rd, X 540 to X 524'5, they are shown 
in spectrum 11, Chart II. I would also call attention to spectrum 12, Chart II., 
which is that of a shallow depth of this solution. The band far over in violet is not 
a lipochrome band, for if it were the other bands should be present; it read from 
X 468 to X 451. (Dr. Sorby shows a similar band in the spectrum of blue chloro¬ 
phyll.) Its presence in similar solutions is, however, not constant. 
The solution of saponified chlorophyll, from which the petroleum-ether and the 
ether had removed the above pigments, showed also a changed spectrum, its bands 
now reading : 1st, X 649 to X 620’5 ; 2nd, X 602 - 5 to X 582. 
To see the exact change which had taken place by saponification an ether-alcohol 
solution was evaporated down and the residue dissolved in absolute alcohol; a green 
solution was thus obtained showing spectrum 13, Chart II., of which the bands read: 
1st, X 669 to X 649 ; 2nd, X 640 to X 627 ; 3rd, X 613 to X 593 ; 4tli, uncertain; and 
on comparing these measurements with those of the bands of the first absolute alcohol 
solution a great discrepancy is apparent. Moreover, the results of saponifying grass 
chloroplrpll do not exactly coincide with those obtained by saponifying that of Primula, 
but even in the case of grass the results are not hy any means constant. Whether 
this is due to the fact that chlorophyll varies in composition according to season remains 
to be proved, but the following observations show that such discrepancies may occur. 
A solution obtained by digesting grass in ether, to which rectified spirit had 
been added, gave a series of bands agreeing closely with those seen in the above 
absolute alcohol solution. They read ; 1st, X 679 - 5 to X 640 ; 2nd, X 629 to X 598 ; 
3rd, X 591 to X 566 ; and 4th (about), X 548'5 to X 532. In a thin layer: 5th, 
X 486’5 to X 467 ; and 6th, X 451 to X 438. On saponifying and extracting as des¬ 
cribed above with petroleum-ether, the resulting yellow solution showed only two, 
not three , bands : the first, X 490’5 to X 472 ; and 2nd, X 458'5 to X 445 (examined by 
daylight). The ether extract showed only one feeble band in red, but the ether and 
alcohol extract gave spectrum 14, Chart II., the bands reading : 1st, X 669 to X 654 ; 
2nd, X 640 to X 627; 4th, X 543 to X 532; and 5th, X 51D5 to X 492‘5. The 
mother liquid gave practically the same bands. This discrepancy is not of great 
importance, as spectra 13 and 14 really belong to the same pigment, but spectra 
* Proc. Roy. Soc., vol. 21 (1873), pp. 442 et seq. Compare Sachsse, “ Die Chemie und Physiologie der 
Farbstoffe,” &c., S. 24, &c. 
