214 TKAXSACTIONS AND ntOCEEDINGS OF THE [Sess. lxiii. 



ruptured the cotyledon so far as to expose about half 

 of the outermost leaf-tuuic. The connecting stalk of 

 the cotyledon was still fairly fresh. 



A further period of about six weeks elapsed before 

 the next observation was made. The seed had now 

 a collapsed appearance (Fig. 8), and the cotyledon was 

 withered, brown, and spirally twisted. The part of it 

 forming the sheath around the base of the bulb was 

 still green. The apex of the second leaf-tunic was 

 held in the split stalk of the cotyledon, but a very 

 slight untwisting liberated it. The primary root had 

 remained undeveloped. 



In another fortnig-ht the cotyledon had become so fragile 

 that, for the first time, it could not bear the weight of 

 the bulb when the whole structure was lifted up (Fig. 8). 

 Some indications of the development of adventitious roots 

 around the aborted primary one were now discernible. In 

 another three weeks, now 7th April, the bulb seemed to 

 have become almost dormant (Fig. 9). The adventitious 

 roots, however, were now more visible, as four small 

 protuberances in the persisting portion of the cotyledon 

 (Fig. lOar). 



The final observation, made two months later, on 7th 

 June, showed that growth was now going on (Fig. 11). 

 The four roots, the longest being ^ inch, had penetrated the 

 moss, and a fifth was just appearing. A fairly vigorous 

 green leaf was shooting up, its apex being nearly three 

 inches above the base of the bulb. The persisting shield- 

 shaped portion of the cotyledon was now papery, with 

 the exception of a green piece, | inch wide, close to 

 the roots. The bulb was of fine healthy green colour, 

 and would have grown well if it had now been transferred 

 to soil. It is probable that it owed some of its vigour 

 to the decay of the moss in which the roots were 

 spreading. 



The interesting feature of this experiment was the 

 demonstration of the transference of stored material from 

 the Heshy endosperm of the seed to the equally fieshy 

 tunics of the bulb, with no more extraneous aid than that 

 which accrued from the absorption of a little moisture 

 by the bulb. 



