Isolation of a red pigment from P . herquei has been reported in an earlier paper (1). Further examination of this pigment and purification by adsorption chromatography has verified its homogeneity and the empirical formula CmHzoO,, although there remains the possibility of a slightly Merent ratio of hydrogen to carbon. Since the infrared spectrum of this pigment indicates the presence of a t least one carbonyl group, and since Burton (2) has applied the name, herquein, to a yellow acid also isolated from P . herqwi, the name herqueinone is proposed for the red pigment with a coppery lustre, which is the subject of the present study.The infrared spectrum of herqueinone, Fig. 1, shows a band at 3.1 p, characteristic of a hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl (3). For example, salicylaldehyde shows the band from the stretching vibration of the hydroxyl a t 3.05 p . The absence of absorption in the 5.5-6 p region and occurrence of a strong band at 6.1 p suggests carbonyl in an aromatic or quinonoid system which also contains hydroxyl. Among the few types of carbonyl compounds absorbing beyond 6 p are hydroxyphenyl aldehydes (3) and ketones (4), and 2-hydroxy-l14-naphthoquinones (5). Ettlinger (5) has noted that 2-hydroxy-1 , 4-naphthoquinones and their 3-alkyl derivatives are characterized by bands at 2.95-3.1 p, 5.98-6.08 p, and 6.23-6.3 p. The spectrum of herqueinone exhibits bands in each of these three regions; however, all efforts to secure carbonyl derivatives of herqueinone have been unsuccessful. The 1,2-naphthoquinones (5) show a shorter wavelength band, below 6 p, as do all types of y-and &lactones. Further indication of absence of a 1,2-quinone system is furnished by failure of herqueinone to react with o-phenylenediamine under conditions which yield a quinoxaline with