A different kind of instability of the bicyclopentane ring system was encountered in an attempt to prepare the 3-bromo carboxylic acid. Bromo ester 26 was prepared from 20 by the Cristol-Firth-Hunsdiecker reaction in 68% yield. Attempts to hydrolyze 26 with acid or base gave complex mixture8 of unidentified materials, Compound 26 also reacted immediately with silver nitrate in 95% ethanol or water. In water the major product was hydroxy ester 27 ...