IN continuation of earlier research on the use of thiophen-aldehydes for the synthesis of stilbene-like compounds (Buu-HoI, HoBn, and Lavit, J., 1950, 2130; Buu-HoI and HoAn, J., 1951, 251), and in view of the activity of a-phenylcinnamonitriles as mitotic poisons (cf. Lett&