Phthalaldehyde has been found to condense with methoxyacetone in good yield to form 4, 5- benztropolone methyl ether. The ether is readily split by strong acid to form 4, 5- benztropolone, which is much more readily prepared by this procedure than by the previous process. Benztropolone and its methyl ether do not give the characteristic aromatization reactions shown by colchicine, colchiceine and the monocyclic tropolones, and ...