1062 
time was still present in Nrs. 18 and 14. From these observations 
may be concluded that the mould had drawn to it all the fosfor 
in the three first experiments. As these quantities, especially that of 
Nr. 11, are considerably greater than those present in the old, 
mature mould layer (table I), it was indirectly proved that also 
the fosfor in the metabolism is ,accumulated in the organism 
in considerable quantity at the beginning of the development. This 
result was then in a direct way confirmed by analysis of the mould. 
So it was found for Nr. 9 that all the fosfor vanished from the 
solution was present in the organism (ca. 1 mgr.). For Nrs. 13 and 
14 2.9 mgr were found in the mould, a quantity 7 tot 8 times as 
great as that in the old mould layer. The corresponding fosfor- 
number is 0.75. This number may even be higher, as is seen from 
an experiment which may be inentioned here for comparison. In a 
five days old mould layer (culture liquid: 50 em? distilled water, 
0.15°/, am. nitrate, 0.1°/, KCl, 0.1°/, MgSO, (erystall), 0.05°/, Ca 
nitrate (free from water), 0.05°/, fosforie acid (erystall), 2°/, glucose), 
3.9 mers. P was present. As all the glucose was then assimilated 
the fosfornumber was — 1.0. 
In opposition to what is found for the carbon and nitrogen this 
quantity of fosfor is loosely fixed in the organism. Ten minutes’ 
boiling with water will do to dissolve eonsiderabie quantities. Of a 
mature mould layer, treated in the same way, no, or hardly any 
fosfor is dissolved; the same is the case with lecithine or phytine. 
As the mould grows older the superfluous fosfor, accumulated in 
the organism, returns into the solution as fosforic acid. This was 
already indicated by the fact that the fosfornumbers of mature cul- 
tures were very small (table I). 
It was ascertained by direct analysis both of the mould and the 
culture liquid of N°. 15 after 7 days, and of the mould of N°. 16 
after 5 days. For N°. 15 the sum of the fosfor in the mould and 
in the liquid present after 7 days is 8,7 + 1,6 = 10,3 mers. The 
totally added quantity was 10,5 mers., so that no loss of fosfor, in 
the .form of hydrogenfosfid takes place. 
By this study of the metabolism of the elements we obtain a 
better view of their signification than was hitherto obtained. We 
see that the quantities of the elements present in the mature mould, 
do not correspond with the quantities really active during the deve- 
lopment. In the case of carbon the plastic aequivalent could in the 
course of time decrease to the half. For the nitrogen there was a 
threefold, for the fosfor I could point out a tenfold decrease. The 
quantities of the latter element required for the normal assimilation 
