408 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.41 



The results obtained with D. Mrhcyi indicate that three distinct amorphous 

 alkaloids are present throughout the life of the plant, and that one crystalline 

 alkaloid exists in the free state during the early stages of growth. The princi- 

 pal poison from the standpoint of activity is an amorphous alkaloid precipi- 

 tated from acidulated solutions by ammonium hydroxid and hydrolyzed by 

 alcoholic potassium hydroxid into simpler derivatives. Plants at the flower- 

 ing stage were found to contain more of this poison than the undeveloped 

 plants. 



Fronf the leaves and stems of D. geyeri three alkaloids were isolated, one 

 amorphous and two crystalline. The amorphous alkaloid corresponded in its 

 physical and chemical properties to the principal alkaloid isolated from D. 

 harheyi, but yielded a different crystalline base on hydrolysis and appeared to 

 be of somewhat milder toxicity. The crystalline alkaloids did not resemble 

 that of D. harheyi. 



In D. glaucescens the number and form of the alkaloids remained uni- 

 form throughout the life of the plant, and differed in quantity only in the 

 different parts of the plant. These consisted of one crystalline and one amor- 

 phous fornf. The amorphous alkaloid was insoluble in water, not precipitated 

 by ammonium hydroxid, and was decomposed on hydrolysis into nonalkaloidal 

 substances. This would seem to have some bearing on the fact that D. 

 glaucescens is much less poisonous than the other species studied. 



"From a chemical point of view, therefore, the three species vary in many 

 respects. Important plant products, not mentioned in this preliminary bulle- 

 tin, have been isolated and examined which add further evidence to the state- 

 ment that there is a specific difference involved in the three species." 



Composition of the fruit of Cicer arietinum, A. Zlataroff (Zlataeow) 

 {Ztschr. Vntersuch. Nahr. u. Genussmtl., 31 {1916), No. 6, pp. 180-183; abs. in 

 Chem. Ahs., 11 {1917), No. 11, p. 2512). — This investigation completes the study 

 of C. arietinum (chick-pea) previously noted by Zlatarow and Stoikow (E. S. 

 R., 30, p. 558). 



The composition of the chick-pea calculated on a dry basis was as follows : 

 Ash 2.87 per cent, fat 6.3, starch 50.32, crude fiber 3.62, total N 3.34, protein N 

 2.11, nuclein N 0.10, ammonia N 0.10, amid N 0.01, amino acid N 0.12, peptone 

 N 0.007, N by difference 0.797, total PsOb 0.998, lecithin P2O5 0.142, protein P2O5 

 0.486, inorganic P2OB 0.118, and soluble organic V.Oa 0.244 per cent. 



Soft com: Its chemical composition and nitrogen distribution, G. Spitzek, 

 R. H. Cakr, and W. F. Epple (Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc, 41 {1919), No. 8, pp. 1212- 

 1221, figs. 2). — This investigation, reported from the Purdue Experiment Sta- 

 tion, was undertaken to determine the composition of soft corn and the nature 

 of its proteins and to secure data on which qualitative classification can be 

 made as to the maturity of corn. Three series of samples were used, one series 

 selected because of the extreme softness of the corn and its failure to germi- 

 nate, another representing more mature corn capable of germinating, and a 

 third an intermediate grade. 



The analytical data presented include a table showing the comparative com- 

 position of normal corn and of the three series studied. The principal differ- 

 ences in composition as brought out by this table are as follows : 



The total nitrogen of soft corn is only slightly lower than that of mature 

 corn, but the amid nitrogen is nfuch higher. Zein is present in smaller amounts 

 in soft than in mature corn, while the other proteins are present in about the 

 same amounts in both. This is thought to indicate that zein is formed last 

 and that amid is formed at the expense of zein. The acid-hydrolyzed proteins 

 do not differ significantly in the different grades of corn. The percentages of 



