ioo SCIENCE PROGRESS 



rule much decaying vegetable matter accumulates, the chief 

 factor in determining the amount of organic matter in solution 

 will be bacterial action in breaking up the complex and mostly 

 insoluble proteids into simpler bodies, many of which are 

 soluble. The ultimate tendency is for the proteins to be broken 

 up into nitrates, nitrites, and saline ammonia. These substances, 

 of course, will not yield albuminoid ammonia. This being so, 

 it is evident that the time when the albuminoid ammonia should 

 be largest in amount is when the bacteria are breaking up the 

 insoluble proteids into soluble ones, and^prior to their complete 

 disintegration. Probably at this time alkaloids of putrefaction 

 are formed, especially if the pond should contain much animal 

 matter, and alkaloids are all powerful kinetics. It is probable, 

 therefore, that the albuminoid ammonia is a criterion of bacterial 

 activity in the pond, a rise showing that a greater amount of 

 decomposition is going on, and consequently a greater kinetic 

 production. Thus although a pond containing o"oi9 parts per 

 100,000 of albuminoid ammonia may show traces of kinetics, 

 while another with a content of co8 shows none, the explanation 

 probably is that the former contains more animal matter than 

 the latter, which is probably a more effective producer of 

 kinetics. The kinetic curve, then, probably follows that of the 

 albuminoid ammonia, because the rise of this substance in any 

 sample from a given pond is a measure of the amount of the 

 bacterial activity in that pond. 



The explanation of the gradual awakening of life in spring- 

 time now becomes intelligible. Auxetics are apparently nearly 

 always present, but the kinetics vary, being altogether absent 

 at times. During autumn leaves and other vegetable matter 

 fall into the ponds, while during the cold of winter there is also 

 undoubtedly a higher death-rate amongst the fauna, all of which 

 supply the organic material for the manufacture of auxetics and 

 augmentors (kinetics). Bacterial activity now comes slowly into 

 play, decomposing the organic matter and producing kinetics, 

 which probably accumulate for a time, and ultimately, by 

 augmenting the action of the auxetics, cause the reawaking of 

 the dormant life. Nor does the matter stop here, for what 

 applies to the pond almost certainly applies to the earth. The 

 dead leaves which are shed in autumn being gradually decom- 

 posed by bacteria, the soluble products are washed down into 

 the earth, to be slowly absorbed by the roots of plants, in which 



