GERMINATION OF SEEDS. 225 



for, either through reactions connected with the process, or 

 through putrefaction. Moreover, since these bodies have 

 been obtained without exception from artificial proteohy- 

 drolysis, it is inconceivable that they can have arisen in any 

 other manner than by transformation of reserve-proteins, 

 especially since the seedlings were allowed to derive their 

 nutriment solely from these. 



There is one point of difference between the products of 

 proteinic decomposition during germination and that in 

 vitro, namely, that, whereas aspartic and glutaminic acids 

 are produced in the latter, their amides occur in the former, 

 the acids having been never observed in plants. But the 

 difference is a necessary consequence of the dissimilar con- 

 ditions and only apparent, for in artificial hydrolysis am- 

 monia is formed, this having arisen from the amides which 

 could not exist in the conditions. 



Besides these products two other nitrogenous substances 

 have been found in certain seedlings, namely allantoin (gly- 

 oxalyl diureide) and guanidin (imido-urea), that result pro- 

 bably from proteinic decomposition. Allantoin was found 

 by C. Richardson and C. A. Crampton in germinated seeds 

 of Triticum, and by E. Schulze and some of his collabora- 

 tors in germinated buds. Guanidin occurs in etiolated 

 seedlings of Vicia sativa and possibly in chlorophyllous ones. 

 Inasmuch as arginin is guanido-a-amido- valerianic acid, it 

 is possible that the guanidin found in Vicia sativa may arise 

 from that part of the proteinic molecule, that would yield 

 andnin in other circumstances. 



The series of nitrogenous compounds just described 

 account more or less for the carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen 

 and oxygen of the proteinic molecule ; it is true that there 

 almost certainly remain some substances composed of these 

 elements not yet separated, but if these are not known in an 

 isolated condition, the class to which they belong is known. 

 But the sulphur still remains to be accounted for. There can 

 be no doubt but that this is finally found in sulphates, for 

 E. Schulze and his collaborators have shown that sulphates 

 are formed during germination of Vicia sativa, Lupinus 

 luteus, and Cucurbita Pepo, and that there is an increase 



