Page:Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Vol 69.djvu/323

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Sir WILLIAM HUGGINS, K.C.B., D.C.L., President, in the Chair.

A List of the Presents received was laid on the table, and thanks ordered for them.

The following Papers were read :

I. " On the Action of the Spurge (Euphorbia hiberna, L.) on Salmonoid Fishes." By Dr. H. M. KYLE. Communicated by Professor MclNTOSH, F.R.S.

II. "Contributions to the Chemistry of Chlorophyll. No. VIII. Changes undergone by Chlorophyll in passing through the Bodies of Animals." By Dr. E. SCHUNCK, F.R.S.

III. " On the Constitution of Copper-Tin Alloys." By C. T. HEYCOCK

F.R.S., and H. F. NEVILLE, F.R.S.

IV. " The Effective Temperature of the Sun." By Dr. W. E. WILSON, F.R.S.

The Society adjourned over the Christmas Recess to Thursday, January 23, 1902.

Considering the large quantity of food containing chlorophyll consumed by animals feeding on green herbage, it seemed to me it might be of interest to ascertain whether any, and if so what, changes are undergone by the chlorophyll of the food during its passage through the animal body.

It is stated in works on physiological chemistry that the solid excrements of animals contain chlorophyll ; but this statement refers apparently to human faeces, and is certainly not correct as regards those of herbivora if unchanged chlorophyll is meant. It would indeed, a priori, seem very improbable that chlorophyll, after exposure at a somewhat elevated temperature to acids and other agents, such as it would meet with in its passage through the animal system, would remain unchanged, though, on the other hand, chlorophyll products of decom-