Summary Polyacetylglycosylbenzenes have been shown to react with benzene in the presence of aluminum chloride to yield the same 1, l-diphenyl-l-desoxyalditols as are obtained directly by the glycosylation of benzene with sugar acetates or acetylated glycosyl halides. This confirms the hypothesis that in these latter glycosylations the 1, l-diphenyl-1- desoxyalditols arise from an intermediate glycosylbenzene.