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 (Faba 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, 10 grains when resting, and 24 grains when swollen for 

 germination, its formula would be 2*5 i 2*4, the shrinking ratio being indicated on 

 the left, and the swelling ratio on the right. 



