AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY ^AGROTECHNY. 503 



A great similarity between the content of nitrogenous substances and tbe com- 

 position of the ash in the embryo and that in the aleurone grains (layer) was 

 noted. The magnesium oxid content of the embryo is 1.39 and of the calcium 

 oxid 0.27 per cent. 



In regard to the lipoids contained in egg yolk, C. Serono and A. Palazzi 

 (Abs. in Chem. Ztg., 35 {1911), No. 100, p. 917).— An average of 1,000 hen's 

 eggs showed 19.4 gms. of yolk, 31.62 gms. of albumin, and 7.04 gms. of shell. 



The yolk was extracted with alcohol and ether. The alcoholic extract was 

 found to consist of an acetone-soluble and insoluble portion, the latter com- 

 posed in the main of oleic acid and palmitic acid-lecithin. The figures obtained 

 in the quantitative determination of phosphorus, nitrogen, and the fatty acids 

 were found to agree very well with those obtained for the oleic acid-lecithin. 

 The portion soluble in acetone was found to crystallize from boiling acetone 

 as very fine, thin, flat, doubly refracting, blue, fluorescent needles, which at the 

 outset are colorless but when exposed to the air are quickly converted into a 

 yellow to reddish brown, strongly acid fluid, from which cholesterol crystals 

 separate out. The yellow coloring matter is a decomposition product of lutein, 

 particularly the oleic acid-lutein. By saponifying the lutein with sodium alco- 

 holate it was shown to contain cholesterol, oleic acid, and palmitic acid, and 

 probably consists of oleic and palmitic acid esters of cholesterol. The yellow 

 lutein shows a single absorption band between F and G. Its solution in acetone 

 is totally decolorized by sunlight and possesses no absorption spectrum. 



The ether extract of egg yolk consists almost wholly of a straw-yellow oil, 

 which is clear at temperatures over 15° C. and has the following contents: 

 Specific gravity at 15° 0.9115 to 0.9127, saponification number 198.85, iodin 

 number 82.31, acetyl figure 3.82. The oil is neutral, and does not contain any 

 volatile fatty acids, cholesterol, or organic phosphorus. It shows no absorption 

 bands and does not effect polarized light. The fatty acids melt at from 36 to 

 38°, and consist of palmitin and olein. Stearic and cerotic acid could not be 

 detected. 



As the result of several determinations the following figures for the egg oil 

 were obtained : Triolein 68.68 per cent, and tripalmitin 30.04 per cent. The 

 fresh yolk contained the various lipoids in the following proportion : Oil 14.77 

 to 17.37, palmitic- and oleic acid-lecithin 11.05 to 12.09, and lutein 4.04 to 4.17 

 per cent. 



Chemical examination of woody aster, L. C. Raiford (Wyoming Sta. Rpf. 

 1911, pp. 53-61; Jour. Anier. Chem. Soc, 33 (1911), No. 7, pp. 1189-1195).— In 

 connection with the work already noted (E. S. R., 25, p. 385), proximate analy- 

 ses, including the constituents of the ash, are reported of the roots and tops 

 of the woody aster (Xylorrhisa parryi). An assay of the leaf did not indi- 

 cate the presence of alkaloids. The author, however, intends to study further 

 the alcoholic extracts. 



Analysis of Zygadenus interniedius, F. W. Heyl and L. C. Raiford (Wyo- 

 ming Sta. Rpt. 1911, pp. 62-69). — Noted from another source (E. S. R., 25, 

 p. 683). 



The oil from seeds of the ash tree, W. Bach (Chem. Ztg., 35 (1911), No. 

 53, pp. .1,78, //79). — The ground seeds when extracted with ether in a Soxhlet 

 apparatus yielded 9.7 per cent of fat. With larger quantities and petroleum 

 ether the yield was only 8 per cent. The oil was found to possess a brownish- 

 yellow color, was very viscous, and remained cloudy at ordinary room temper- 

 ature. 



The constants found were as follows : Specific gravity 0.9181, saponification 

 number 168.5, iodin number 129.5, and Reichert-Meissl number 1.68. A stringy 



