656 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol XVI. 



respect to the living organism, physiologically dry. In consequence of 

 that physical action exercised by the salts in solution, a too great concen- 

 tration of salts in the assimilatory tissue would show its noxious chemical 

 influence upon the metabolic processes, if not at the same time, there 

 were a sufficient number of contrivances preventing too profuse a trans- 

 piration. It is especially the aqueous tissue which counterbalances 

 the concentration of salts in the assimilating cells. As the absolute 

 amount of salt increases in the course of time, we can easily understand 

 that it is just the old leaf which develops a rich aqueous tissue, keeping 

 pace in its development with the accumulation of salts in the cells of 

 the same leaf. 



