NARCISSUS. 



573 



In size the grains arc, on the whole, larger than in 

 N. weardale perfection, the common sizes are 20 by 32/j,, 

 24 by 24/x, and 30 by 24/* in length and breadth. 



POLABISCOPIC PROPERTIES. 



The figure is usually distinct and well defined. The 

 lines cross at an acute angle which does not vary greatly 

 in size and are only rarely not bent nor bisected. There 

 are but few figures in the form of an hyperbola or of a 

 long line bisected at both ends. 



The degree of polarization varies from low to high 

 (value 37). There are very few grains in which it is 

 high and many in which it is low or moderate. There 

 is considerable variation in a given aspect of an indi- 

 vidual grain. 



With selenite the quadrants are usually clean-cut, 

 unequal in size, but regular in shape. The colors in the 

 great majority of the grains are not pure, and there are 

 very few which show a greenish tinge. 



Comparison of the polariscopic properties between 

 N. madame de graaff and N. weardale perfection shows : 



The figure is not so distinct nor so well defined. The 

 lines cross at angles which vary greatly in size and are 

 often bent and bisected. There are very few grains as 

 in N. weardale perfection in which the figure has the 

 form of a conjugate hyperbola, or of a long line bisected 

 at both ends. 



The degree of polarization is low to high (value 37), 

 and there are more grains in which it is moderate and 

 fewer in which it is low. There is somewhat less varia- 

 tion in a given aspect of the same grain. 



With selenite the quadrants are less clean-cut and 

 more often irregular in shape. The colors are somewhat 

 more pure, and there are more which have a greenish 

 tinge. 



IODINE KEACTIONS. 



With 0.25 per cent Lugol's solution the grains all 

 color a moderate violet tinged with blue (value 55), and 

 the color deepens with moderate rapidity until the grains 

 are all colored very deeply and have assumed much more 

 of a bluish tint. With 0.125 per cent Lugol's solution, 

 the grains all color a light violet, and the color deepens 

 with moderate rapidity until it is deep and has assumed 

 a bluish tint. After heating in water until all the 

 grains are gelatinized and then treating with a 2 per cent 

 Lugol's solution, the gelatinized grains all colored a light, 

 or a light to moderate indigo, and the solution a deep 

 indigo. If the preparation is boiled for 2 minutes and 

 then treated with an excess of a 2 per cent Lugol's solu- 

 tion, most of the grain-residues color a light indigo, but 

 in some only the capsules are colored; the capsules a 

 reddish violet; and the solution a very deep indigo. 



Comparison of the iodine reactions between N. ma- 

 dame de graaf and N. weardale perfection shows: 



With 0.25 per cent Lugol's solution the grains color 

 less than in N. iveardale perfection (value 50), and also 

 with 0.125 per cent Lugol's solution. After heating 

 in water until the grains are all gelatinized, the grains 

 color more and the solution less than in N. weardale per- 

 fection. If the preparation is boiled for 2 minutes and 

 then treated with an excess of 2 per cent Lugol's solution 

 the grains are colored more than in N. weardale perfec- 

 tion, and the capsules red or reddish violet instead of 

 reddish violet as in N. weardale perfection. 



ANILINE REACTIONS. 



With gentian violet the grains all color very lightly, 

 at once, and in 30 minutes they are light to moderately 

 colored (value 30). The grains are all equally colored, 

 and there is no variation in different parts of an indi- 

 vidual grain. 



With safranin the grains all color very lightly at 

 once, and in 30 minutes they are light to moderately 

 colored (value 40), more than with gentian violet. The 

 grains are all equally colored, and there is no variation 

 in 'different parts of an individual grain. 



Comparison of the aniline reactions between N. ma- 

 dame de graaff and N. weardale perfection shows : 



With gentian violet the grains color light to moder- 

 ately (value 43), much more than N. weardale perfection. 



With safranin the grains color moderately (value 

 53) much more than N. weardale perfection. 



TEMPERATURE REACTIONS. 



The temperature of gelatinization of the majority of 

 the grains is 68 to 69 C., and of all is 72 to 74 C., 

 mean 73 C. 



Comparison of the temperature reactions between N. 

 madame de graaff and N, weardale perfection shows : 



The temperature of gelatinization of N. madame de 

 graaff is higher, 73.5 to 75 C., mean 74.25 C. 



EFFECTS OF VARIOUS REAGENTS. 



The reaction with chloral hydrate begins in 1 min- 

 ute. Complete gelatinization occurs in about 4 per cent 

 of the entire number of grains and 6 per cent of the 

 total starch in 5 minutes; in about 7 per cent of the 

 grains and 9 per cent of the total starch in 15 minutes; 

 in about 15 per cent of the grains and 21 per cent of 

 the total starch in 30 minutes; in about 21 per cent of 

 the grains and 28 per cent of the total starch in 45 min- 

 utes; and in about 28 per cent of the grains and 33 per 

 cent of the total starch in 60 minutes. (Chart D 323.) 



The hilum becomes distinct, accompanied by the for- 

 mation of a large bubble in a small majority of the 

 grains. The lamellae are usually not visible, but in a 

 moderate number of grains they can be seen and are 

 moderately distinct. The grains become somewhat 

 more refractive, the first portion to show this increased 

 refractivity is a rather narrow band of starch at the 

 margin. Gelatinization begins at the distal margin and 

 proceeds according to two methods. In the first, which 

 is seen in the majority of the grains, which are also the 

 more resistant grains, gelatinization begins at 1 or 2 

 points on the distal margin, and after the partial separa- 

 tion of the marginal starch by a circular fissure pro- 

 ceeds around the margin nearly to the proximal margin 

 on either side, then progresses inward, at first preceded 

 by a serial separation of two or three groups of lamella, 

 and then by irregular fissuring and splitting off of small 

 fragments of the ungelatinized material ; when the hilum 

 is reached it swells suddenly, and the bubble, if present, 

 swells, then shrinks and disappears, and the proximal 

 starch becomes almost hyaline in appearance and is 

 then rapidly gelatinized. In the second method, which 

 is seen in a moderate minority of the more elongated 

 and less resistant grains, gelatinization begins at the 

 distal end and progresses smoothly toward the hilum and 

 proximal end; when the hilum is reached it swells sud- 



