910 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



than unclei- normal t-ondition.s. The phenomena exhibited were the 

 same as those shown by plants grown in atmospheres containing a 

 diminished content of oxyoen. 



Notes on the germination and seedlings of certain native plants, 

 S. Coulter {rroc. liuilana Acad. /Sci., 1898, pp. 215-'2^22). — In order 

 to account for the distribution of certain species of plants, the author 

 made a stud}' of the effects of temperature and moistui-e changes upon 

 the seedlings of a large number of common plants. Many of the 

 plants experimented with produced large numbers of viable seeds, but 

 the plants themselves do not seem to be Ijecoming nuich more abun- 

 dant. This applies particularl}" to the Compositse, and the results of 

 the experiments showed that among the Composite the percentage of 

 germination is comparatively low. This is apparently due to an 

 extreme sensitiveness on the part of the embryo to external conditions, 

 to which should probably be added imperfect pollination. The seed- 

 lings of many plants are found to be extremely sensitive to tempera- 

 ture and moisture changes, either in the soil or atmosphere. These 

 factors prove etiectual in limiting the distrilnition of luany plants. 



Investigations on the formation of proteids by plants in dark- 

 ness, Mari?: Maliniak {Een. Gen. Bot.., 1'2 {1000), No. IJ^.1.^ pp. 337- 

 34-J). — The literature bearing upon this subject is lirieiiy reviewed and 

 the conflicting statements pointed out, after which the author gives 

 the detailed results of her own experiments with maize and Vicia 

 faha. 



The experiments with maize were made l)y germinating the seed in 

 sand in darkness, and after 8 or 10 daj's transferring to cultui'cs con- 

 taining saccharose and glucose. To some of the cultures asparagin 

 and urea were added. The cultures were maintained for a number of 

 days, the solutions being changed daily to prevent attacks of bacteria. 

 At the expiration of the period, the plants were dried and the nitro- 

 gen determined by the Kjeldahl method, the albuminoids being 

 determined by Stutzer's method. The experiments with maize demon- 

 strated that in the presence of glucose and saccharose, together with 

 asparagin, the plants were able to form albuminoid materials in dark- 

 ness. 



The experiments with V. _fah(/ were conducted in a similar manner 

 with similar results. 



The occurrence of calcium oxalate and lignin during the differ- 

 entiation of the buds of Prunus americana, II. L. Bollky and 

 L. R. Waldron {Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. jScL, J^8 {1899), p. 30Jf). — 

 The authors note the occurrence of ciystals of calcium oxalate and the 

 presence of lignitied tissues, as observed in the study conducted upon 

 the development of the buds of Prumis americana. It was found that 

 the crystals of calcium oxalate occurred in very great abundance in 

 the meristematic tissues of the bud, and in the very A^oungest stages 



