PURPOSE: To advantageously prepare the polycyclic dyes useful for the coloration of synthetic textiles particularly polyester by using the new intermediates and reacting them with benzofuranone.

CONSTITUTION: The polycyclic dyes of formula III [e.g. 3-phenyl-7-[4-amino-3- ethyl-5-methylphenyl]-2,6-dioxo-2,6-dihydrobenzo[1:2-b,4:5-b']-difuran or the like] are obtained by reacting new compounds of formula I (R1 and R2 are each H or alkyl; R3 is alkyl; R4 is H or alkyl; R5 and R6 are each alkyl or link together with adjacent N to form a heteroalicyclic ring) with benzofuranones of formula II (ring A is unsubstituted or substituted by from 1 to 3 substituents under conditions which at least one of R1, R2 and R4 is H). The new compounds of formula I [e.g. 1-morpholino-1-[4-amino-3-ethyl-5-methylphenyl]-acetic acid or the like] is obtained by reacting anilines of formula IV with glyoxylic acid or compounds of formula V.