24 



STUDIES IN SEEDS AND FRUITS 



for its demonstration. In his Handbuch der Samenkunde^ 

 published in 1876, he shows that in the case of the seeds of 

 the Common Bean {Faha vulgaris) the water lost in the shrink- 

 ing process was gained back in the swelling stage. In the act 

 of swelling, he says, the original volume of the " fresh " (or 

 pre-resting) seed is restored (p. 71). Two of these fresh seeds 

 were allowed to go through the shrinking process, the minimum 

 size being reached in about ten days. Measurements were 

 taken ; and it was ultimately found that one of the shrunken 

 seeds when placed in water regained its original dimensions in 

 about four days, whilst the other kept in a chamber saturated 

 with water-vapour regained but little of its original size after 

 five weeks. 



Table A. — Shrinking and Swelling Ratios of Seeds (Guppy). 



Note. — The ratios represent the relation in weight between the resting seed and the 

 pre-resting and swelling seeds, the resting seed being taken as i. Thus if a seed weighed 

 25 grains before shrinking, lo grains when resting, and 24 grains when swollen for 

 germination, its formula would be 2*5 i z'\, the shrinking ratio being indicated on 

 the left, and the swelling ratio on the right. 



