CHs V terial in an attempt to synthesize the isolog of 10-methyl-l, 2-benzanthracene. On condensing the free keto acid with excess methylmagnesium bromide by the procedure of Fieser and Neu~ man,~ a crystalline lactone (111) was obtained in GG% yield. Reduction to IV was accomplished in excellent yield by a procedure described by Newman6 for a comparable case, and cyclization of the acid with zinc chloride and acetic acid anhydride7 ...