386 EXI'EKIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Id the vacuole, and may be either active or i^assive albiuneu. Passive 

 albumen is produced by the transfornuitiou of the active unstable albu- 

 men, and is not a i)rodu(*t of syntliesis. This, the author claims, is 

 clearly shown by the chemical processes Iniown to take place. 



On the existence of oxalate of lime in solution in plants, E. 1>el 

 ZUN(^ {'Jour. Bot. France, S {IS!)1), X<>. 1:J, pp. ;2i::!-2r.)).—T\iQ, author 

 conducted a series of investigations on the form in which oxalate of lime 

 exists in plants and found (1) that in addition to the crystallized nnd 

 granulated lorms there exist solutions of the same in unstable combi- 

 nation with certain free acids in the cell sap. The most usual forms are 

 '•'citroxalate." and "oxoxalate" of lime; (U) oxalate, of lime i)lays the 

 part of a reserve nutritive material for the plant, as may be seen during 

 the process of germination of various seeds. Oxalate of lime may exist 

 iu solution in very considerable quantity in a plant, but not enough to 

 manifest itself as crystals in one plant, nor should it be aflflrmed from 

 this that it is wholly absent in another. This is shown in the cotyledons 

 of 2 species of lupines. In Lupinus Juteiis it occurs as crystals, while 

 in L. albus it is wholly in solution. 



On the occurrence of mucin in plants, J. Ishti {College Agr., 

 Toki/o, Japan, Bui, vol. 3, Xo. 2, pp. 97-100). — Hitherto the slimy 

 material known to be present in many jdants has consisted of carbo- 

 hydrates, which upon treatment yield various sugars, as galactose, 

 arabinose, mannose, etc., while the animal slimes are protein compounds. 

 The author found in the tuberous roots of Japanese yams, Dioseorea 

 spp,, a slimy matter easily precipitated by acetic acid, and further 

 investigation showed it to belong to the mucins. Detailed information 

 is given as to the preparation of the slime from the yams and its 

 reaction with various chemicals. An analysis made of the purified 

 substance dried at 110° C, gave as an average of 3 analyses, carbon 

 52.82 per cent, hydrogen 7.53, nitrogen 14.20, oxygen and sulphur 

 (calculated) 25.05, and ash 0.41. From this composition it is seen to be 

 approximately the same as the mucin of bile, although its identity is 

 not claimed. 



The author concludes as follows: 



"Our slime shows all the essential characteristics of the animal mucin, and (lifters 

 only in some suborilinate points; it is with more difficulty soluble iii dilute alkalis 

 and yields a turbidity Avith potassium ferrocyauid. Our substance is doubtless a 

 kind of mucin, and as this is the iirst time that such a compound has been found in 

 the vegetable kingdom, it is certainly of physiological interest. The quantity, 

 determined as accurately as possible, amounts to 8 per cent of the tuber dried at 

 100^ C." 



Mannane as a reserve material in the seeds of Diospyros kaki, 

 J. ISHii {College Agr , Tokyo, Japan, Bui., vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 101, 102). — 

 The investigations of the author showed that the flesh of the fruit 

 contains large amounts of dextrose and levulose, but no mannose nor 

 galactose. Ui)on examining the seed no starch was to be found, but 

 a soft white mass as a reserve material, which could easily be converted 



