UNITED STATES
                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               Washington, D.C 20549


                                    SCHEDULE 13G


                     Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                            (Amendment No.____________)*


                               THE DEXTER CORPORATION
   _________________________________________________________________
                                  (Name of Issuer)

                                       COMMON
   _________________________________________________________________
                           (Title of Class of Securities)

                                      25216510
                         __________________________________
                                   (CUSIP Number)



   Check the following  box if a fee is being paid  with this statement /X/.  (A
   fee is not required  only if the filing person: (1)  has a previous statement
   on file reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the class
   of securities described in Item 1;  and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent
   thereto  reporting beneficial  ownership  of five  percent  or less  of  such
   class.) (See Rule 13d-7).

   *The remainder  of  this cover  page  shall be  filled  out for  a  reporting
   person's initial filing  on this form  with respect to  the subject class  of
   securities,  and for  any subsequent  amendment containing  information which
   would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

   The information required  in the remainder  of this cover  page shall not  be
   deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange
   Act of 1934 ("Act") or  otherwise subject to the liabilities of  that section
   of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions  of the Act (however,
   see the Notes).





   SEC 1745 (2/92)               Page 1 of 5 pages

                                                               Page 2 of 5 Pages

   CUSIP No.    25216510                13G

    1)  NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
        S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

                  Mitchell Hutchins Institutional Investors Inc.
                                 13-3180862

    2)  CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                          (a) /__/
                                                          (b) /__/
    3)  SEC USE ONLY


    4)  CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

                  Delaware

                       5)   SOLE VOTING POWER
    NUMBER OF
                                 -0-
     SHARES
                       6)   SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY
                                 1,932,485
     OWNED BY
                       7)   SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
      EACH
                                 -0-
    REPORTING
                       8)   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
     PERSON
                                 1,932,485
      WITH

    9)  AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

                                 1,932,485

   10)  CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*


   11)  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

                                 7.94%

   12)  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

                                 IA

                        *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!

                                                               Page 3 of 5 Pages

   Item 1.   (a)  Name of Issuer:

                  The Dexter Corporation

                  Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

                  One Elm Street
                  Windsor Locks, CT  06096


   Item 2.   (a)  Name of Person Filing:

                  Mitchell Hutchins Institutional Investors Inc.

             (b)  Address of Principal Business Office:

                  1285 Avenue of the Americas
                  New York, NY  10019

             (c)  Citizenship:                                          Delaware

             (d)  Title of Class of Securities:                           Common

             (e)  CUSIP Number:                                         25216510


   Item 3.   Type of Reporting Person

             (a)  (  ) Broker or Dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act

             (b)  (  ) Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6)of the Act

             (c)  (  ) Insurance Company  as defined in Section  3(a)(19) of the
                       Act

             (d)  (  ) Investment  Company registered  under  Section  8 of  the
                       Investment Company Act


             (e)  (XX) Investment Adviser  Registered under Section  203 of  the
                       Investment Advisers Act of 1940

                                                               Page 4 of 5 Pages

             (f)  (  ) Employee Benefit  Plan, Pension Fund which  is subject to
                       the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security
                       Act  of  1974 or  Endowment  Fund;  see Section  240.13d-
                       1(b)(1)(ii)(F)

             (g)  (  ) Parent  Holding  Company,   in  accordance  with  Section
                       240.13d-1(b)(ii)(G) (Note:  See Item 7)

             (h)  (  ) Group, in accordance with Section 240.13d-1
                       (b)(1)(ii)(H)


   Item 4.   Ownership:

             (a)  Amount Beneficially Owned:                           1,932,485

             (b)  Percent of Class:                                        7.94%

             (c)  Number of Shares as to which such person has:

                  (i)   Sole Power to vote or to direct 
                        the vote:                                            -0-

                  (ii)  Shared Power to vote or to direct
                        the vote:                                      1,932,485

                  (iii) Sole Power to dispose or to direct
                        the disposition of:                                  -0-

                  (iv)  Shared Power to dispose or to
                        direct the disposition of:                     1,932,485


   Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

           N/A

   Item 6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another:

           N/A

                                                               Page 5 of 5 Pages

   Item 7.   Identification and Classification of  the Subsidiary Which Acquired
             the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company:

             N/A


   Item 8.   Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:

             N/A


   Item 9.   Notice of Dissolution of Group:

             N/A


   Item 10.  Certification:

             By signing  below I certify that,  to the best of  my knowledge and
             belief,  the  securities referred  to  above were  acquired  in the
             ordinary course of business  and were not acquired for  the purpose
             of and  do not  have  the effect  of  changing or  influencing  the
             control  of the issuer of such securities  and were not acquired in
             connection  with or as a participant in any transaction having such
             purposes or effect.

             Signature:

             After  reasonable inquiry  and  to the  best  of my  knowledge  and
             belief,  I certify that the information set forth in this statement
             is true, complete and correct.


                  /s/ William R. Cavell
             By: ____________________________
                  William R. Cavell
                  Legal Department

             Date:  February 7, 1994