Résumé : Ring current intensities and proton chemical shifts have been calculated for a series of condensed aromatic hydrocarbons including biphenylenes. The calculations show that an induced paramagnetic ring current occurs in the 4-membered ring of each of the biphenylenes studied and this effect accounts for the observed spectra. PMR measurements on 1-mono-, 2-mono- and 2,3,6,7-tetra-deuteriated biphenylene prove that the chemical shifts of the 1- and 2-protons are at δ CDCl3 6.60 and 6.70 respectively and not vice versa as assumed by previous authors. © 1976.