52 
the quantity of oxygen absorbed and the amount of carbonic acid 
exhaled by a plant placed in the light and under natural conditions, 
it will easily be understood why we refrain from making any com- 
parison until we are in possession of all the data necessary to carry 
out the calculation. 
(9) The facts which precede convince me that the seeds of uncul- 
tivated plants germinating in the light are, all other conditions being 
equal, better distributed than the seeds of cultivated plants; that 
they possess a greater germinating power, an advantage which in- 
creases their chances for ulterior development. 
