88 27/A' BOTANICAL MAOAZTNE. [Voi. xxx. No.sm. 



of two kinds of similar pigments. For the detection of the latter, 

 we used microchemical as well as macrochemical tests. The 

 usual blVie (appearing black) tint of the maize seed is due to a 

 pigment which is soluble in water, hydrochloric acid, and less 

 soluble in l(>o aqu. solution of sodium carbonate and easily 

 soluble in alcohol. It turns red with an acid and turns blue 

 again with a base. The other ])igment we found was of a red 

 colour, and was situated in the aleurone layer as in the case 

 with the blue pigment. This latter pigment is soluble in water 

 and h^'drochloric acid, \evy easily soluble in l^o aqu. solution 

 of sodium carbonate, and hardly soluble in alcohol. By the 

 addition of acid it turns orange red. The red colour-reactions 

 of the two pigments ma}- be compared with the characteristic 

 colours of rutheniumred and of congored. The second pigment 

 undergoes no considerable change b^' the addition of a weak 

 base as 19^ aqu. solution of sodium carbonate. 



Thus the two pigments differ from each other in their 

 solubility and their colour-reactions toward a weak base. But 

 they agree in other respects, that the basic lead acetate causes 

 a bluish green precipitate, that b\' the addition of hydrochloric 

 acid to the latter we get a red solution with white precipitate, 

 and the addition of ammonia to the latter solution causes 

 again a bluish green precipitate. Tlie\' seem to belong to the 

 winered group of anthocyanins of Weigert, and to the two 

 sorts of pigments described by Wheldale.^' The two pigments 

 occur scparatel}' or coexist in the same seed ; and it is especialK' 

 the latter case which interferes with the study of genetics. 



In the foregoing pages, we have dealt with two conditions, 

 which may account for disagreement between theoretical ex- 

 pectations and experimental results hitherto met with b\' 

 various authors in the study of inheritance of seed-characters 

 of maize, and should be taken into consideration to avoid con- 

 fusion in the interpretation of experimental results. 



Botanical Institute, College of Science 

 Imperial University of Tokyo. 



1) Progressus rei botanicac III. I'.U". [>[<. 468-469. 



