E>. 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 69 
the, nucleolus, divides into two, and a corresponding construction of the primordial 
utvicle'takes place until:it separates into two, a layer of permanent cell-wall substance 
being, meanwhile, secreted in this fold from the circumference to the centre, till a 
complete septum is formed. | The lateral walls grow by extension, being moulded on 
the growing primordial utricle within them. In the nascent cell, the primordial utricle 
is filled with granular matter, which, during the subsequent growth of the cell, re- 
Mains aggregated round the nucleolus, and thus gives rise to the appearances whence 
Schleiden derived his theory of development from a cytoblast. 
On the Influence of Galvanic Electricity on the Germination of Seeds. 
By Professor E. Soury, F.R.S. 
He commenced by describing the old experiments of Sir H. Davy, in which seeds 
placed in the vicinity of the positive pole of a voltaic pile, germinated sooner than 
those near the negative pole, an effect which might be attributed to the oxygen evolved 
at the positive pole, which of course would accelerate germination, whilst the hydrogen 
set free at the negative extremity would retard it.» These experiments did not in any 
way prove that germination was stimulated by electricity; but judging from the known 
powers of electricity, it would be reasonable to expect that like light and heat, it would 
exert marked influence on the growth of vegetables, in fact, act as a stimulus. 
In a series of experiments, in which the seeds of barley, wheat, rye, turnips and 
radish were exposed to the influence of a feeble current of electricity, the plants came 
up sooner and were healthier than others that had not been electrified. On the other 
hand, a number of experiments on other seeds had given opposite results, proving 
either that the germination of some seeds was retarded whilst that of others was 
facilitated by electricity, or that the effects observed in both cases were accidental. 
Out of a series of fifty-five experiments on different seeds, twenty appeared in 
favour of electricity, ten against it, and twenty-five showed no effect whatever; and 
in carefully counting the whole number of seeds up in the entire series, there were 
found-1250 of the electrified, and 1253 of the non-electrified. In conclusion, Prof. 
Solly stated that he felt doubtful whether the effects observed were really due to the 
influence of electricity. 
On the Germination of Plants. By Evwiy Lanxester, M.D., F.R.S. 
The phenomena that take place during what is called germination, are,—1, ab- 
sorption of oxygen from the atmosphere; 2, a disengagement of carbonic acid; 3, 
a disengagement of ammonia; 4, conversion of starch into dextrine, gum, sugar, &c.; 
5, increase in bulk—growth of the embryo. The most commonly adopted theory of 
germination explained the above phenomena, as being necessarily connected with the 
last fact mentioned in the above series, the growth of the embryo. It was in fact sup- 
osed that the absorption of oxygen and the disengagement of carbonic acid gas was 
an act of life, a necessary process of the act of germination, and germination and 
vegetation were regarded as antagonising processes, the one being an oxidating, the 
other a deoxidating process, whilst the albumen was regarded as a sole source of 
nourishment; the author proposed to regard the phenomena of germination differ- 
ently. It is obvious that the only essential process of germination is the growth of 
the young plant or embryo. The process of development of the embryo from primi- 
tive cytoblasts developing its tissues, is precisely the same as that of every other part 
of the plant, and from an identity of structure, an identity of function might be in- 
ferred. But the ordinary theory of germination gave a different function to the 
 tissues'of the embryo. The author considered this unnecessary. He believed that 
Q 
__ the absorption of oxygen, the disengagement of carbonic acid gas and ammonia arose 
entirely from the decomposition of the starch and protein contained in the albumen or 
‘perisperm of the seed, and that the growing cells of the embryo appropriated the 
‘carbonic acid and ammonia with water, just in the same way as all other cells in the 
vegetable kingdom, This theory he conceived was not only more consistent with the 
phenomena of germination observed in plants containing large quantities of starch 
in their perisperm, but also consistent with a large class of facts which were opposed 
‘to the ordinary view, of which the following were brought forward :—1l, In many 
‘plants no perisperm was developed, and the conditions required for germination were 
