The Fischer reaction between indanones and certain alkoxyarylhydrazines fails; the indanones are returned unreacted and the arylhydrazines are converted into the corresponding alkoxy-2-chloroarylamines and other products. A new N-amination route to arylhydrazines from the arylamines has been developed and it has been demonstrated that problems with the indolisation of alkoxyarylhydrazones can be circumvented by ring ...