1026 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



nbniit rj (lays they curved downward on to the substratum, over which they 

 spread in their subsequent developniout. Under no other kind of radiation 

 was such behavior noted, \lolet colored lij^ht stiuiubited the production of 

 more and lar>.'er sporangia, wliile tlie final vegetative growth was greatest under 

 the blue and yellow screens. (Jrowtli under the green screens was retarded, the 

 mycelium was less developed, and the siiorangia were very small. 



The effect of light on germination, W. Kinzel {Bcr. Dcut. Bot. GrscU., 

 26a {I'.iOS), Xd. !i. 1)1). (>.'>.j-fill.j } . — A study is reported on the effect of light on 

 the germination of seeds of over 100 species of plants. The seeds were placed 

 to genniuate under dlfl'erent degrees of illumination and the effect of light in 

 retarding or hastening the germination is shown. A bibliography of about 80 

 titles ('(includes the reixirt. 



The chemistry of chlorophyll, S. U. Sciiuyvek {Sri. I')i>(/. TurntUth Cent., 

 .? iltlOU), Xo. II, 1)1). Ji.i-')-.'i.'i9). — A sumniJiry is giv«'n of the present state of 

 information regarding the chemistry of chlorophyll, and in the general conclu- 

 sions the author states that chlorophyll is a magnesium derivative, from which 

 the metal is eliminated readily by means of acid but with great difficulty by 

 alkalis. The green pigment consists in most plants apparently of a mixture 

 of niagnesiinn derivatives, a crystalline chloroi)hyll, and another chlorophyll or 

 mixture of chlorophylls which are esters of the unsaturated alcohol phytol. 

 The statement is made that there is a considerable amount of evidence which 

 tends to show that an intimate chemical relationship exists between the green 

 pigments of jilants and the red pigments of blood. 



Studies in chlorophylls, L. Marchlewski {BiochC))i. Ztschr., 10 {1908), 

 No. 1-2, pp. 131-166, pis. 3, dgms. 2). — Spectroscopic .studies have been made of 

 chlorophylls from various sources and their behavior toward acids noted. 



The author concludes that chlorophyll, phneophyl, and phyllogen are identical 

 substances, differing in all probability only in the methods of their isolation. 

 He thinks that Iloppe-Seyler's name, chlorophyllan, should be adopted, and if 

 distinctions between the two prominent groups are to be maintained. Tsvett's 

 names, chlorophyllin a and /S (E. S. R.. 20. p. 739), should be used, or they may 

 be designated as chlorophyllan and iillochlorophyllan. 



The photodynamic work of chlorophyll extracts, W. Hausmann {Bioclicm. 

 Ztschr., 12 {1908), No. 3-4, pp. 33i-5J.'/).— The author shows that a methyl 

 alcoholic extract of green plants has a marked effect on the red corpuscles of 

 the blood. He experimented with extracts made from leaves of cabbage, 

 maize, wheat, grass, beans, oak, clover, etc., and found that while comparatively 

 inactive in the dark, the extracts induced complete hemolysis within an hour 

 when brcHight into sunlight. 



From these experiments the author concludes that chlorophyll must have a 

 marked photodynamic effect on the assimilation processes of the plant. 



The protein changes taking place in green plants when kept in the dark, 

 W. BuTKEWiTscii (Biochnn. Ztscln:, 12 (1908), No. 3-.',, pp. 31 -',-330, dgm. 1; 

 abs. in Jour. Chcm. Soc. [Loiuhm], 9.', (1908), No. 552. II, p. SSJ).— Experi- 

 ments were conducted wMth beans and oats, in which the protein changes w-ere 

 noted, the total nitrogen, proteid nitrogen, aspartic acid, and ammonia nitrogen 

 being determined. In the case of beans the indigestible and other forms of 

 nitrogen were estimated. The analyses were made of samples of the original 

 material and also of samples which had remained for different lengths of time 

 in the dark. 



It was found that there was a decrease of proteid nitrogen and an increase 

 in aspartic acid nitrogen. The nitrogen which was due neither to aspartic acid 

 nor protein first increased and then diminished. The conclusion is drawn that 



