148 Investigations on the Life-History 



was finally repeatedly extracted with hot alcohol and ether. The 

 powder thus obtained was dried and weighed. 



The iron analysis was carried out in exactly the same manner as that 

 which is fully described in my investigation on "The Exchange of Iron 

 between the Muscle and Ovary of Salmon" (p. 156). In 2 grms. of 

 the ovarian proteid, -45 mgms. Fe, = 0*022 per cent. Fe. Avas found. 



The Nuclein Avas obtained by digesting the pure proteid in 2 per cent. 

 HC1 and liquor pepticus at 40 C C. The residxie was extracted with 

 hot alcohol and ether, and washed with water till acid-free. A. very 

 fine light poAvder was left, which was dried at 110C. and weighed. 



The iron analysis Avas conducted as before. Result : 2-5 gr. ovarian 

 nuclein contained 1*6 mgms. Fe, = 0.064 per cent. Fe. 



The percentages are lower than those obtained by Walter. 



Ovarian Proteid, - = O'llT per cent. (Walter). 



Nuclein, - = 0-252 per cent. ., 



This lower result is probably due to the greater accuracy of the 

 method here employed, though it may be due to difference in the com- 

 position of the ichthulin from the different fish. 



6. Nature of the Ovarian Proteid. The proteid of the ovary is in 

 very close combination Avith a certain amount of lecithin, and when this 

 is removed a pseudo-nuclein is left. This proteid resembles closely the 

 ichthulin somewhat imperfectly described in 1854 by Valenciennes and 

 Fremy (Comptes rendus, T. 38, 1854, p. 471), and more fully investi- 

 gated by Walter (Ztsch. f. phys. Chem., Bd. XV., p. 477, 1891) in the 

 ovary of the carp, though having a somewhat higher proportion of 

 phosphorus and a smaller proportion of iron. Neumeister is probably 

 right in concluding (Physiol. Chem.) that it is not a chemical in- 

 dividual but a mixture of a proteid with lecithin on the one hand and a 

 pseudo-nuclein on the other.* 



C. PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS OF THE TESTES. 



The characteristic phosphorus compounds of the testes have already 

 been so ably and exhaustively investigated by Miescher-Rueseh (Arch. 

 f. exp. Path. u. Pharmac., Bd., 37, p. 100, 1896) that it is unnecessary 

 here to deal with them at length. The nuclein present contains true 

 nucleic acid linked to a base Avhich Miescher has called protamin. In 

 this paper, which has been most admirably put together by Professor 

 Schmeideberg after the death of the author, the characters of the protamin 

 and of the nucleic acid are carefully described. The quantitatiA 7 e 

 composition of the seminal fluid is discussed, the fluid part, the heads, 

 and the tails of the spermatozoa having been isolated and separately 

 studied. It is shown that while the tails contain an albuminous sub- 

 stance with fats and lecithin, and are very poor in other phosphorus- 

 containing substances (p. 142), the heads are rich in nucleic acid and 

 protamin, and very poor in fats and lecithin. The following (p. 139) 

 gives the composition of the heads by one method : 



Nucleic acid, - - 60*50 per cent. 



Protamin extracted by HC1, 19-78 



Other substances 2-94 



Still unknown residue, - - - 16'78 



100,00 



*Smce this was written a paper by Miescher bearing upon these questions has been 

 published " Histoehemischen und Physiologischen Arbeiten von Freidrich Miescher 

 BIT. 



