Feb. 2, 1882] 
It is also a well-ascertained fact that moist heat acts much more 
powerfully on seeds than dry heat. We may safely conclude 
therefore that when the physical and chemical conditions of the 
medium in which a seed is placed are unfavourable to its ger- 
mination, water is the most powerful agent in rapidly destroying 
its vitality. My experiments on the action of liquids on seeds 
confirm this conclusion. 
Moist seeds kept in oxygen and in nitrogen protoxide do not 
germinate. In some few cases I observed the commencement of 
sprouting in seeds kept in oxygen. My observations confirm 
those of Cossa, and are contrary to those of Borscow and 
Rischawi, who asserted that nitrogen protoxide can cause 
moistened seeds to germinate. 
Il. Action of Liguids.—The air-dry seeds were kept in the 
different liquids in well-stoppered bottles. In some liquids 
several kinds of seeds were put. The following are some of 
the results of experiments with the seeds of Lucerne or Medicago 
sativa ;— 
Number of days in 
which the seeds re- 
mained in the liquid. 
Percentage of seeds 
that retained the 
germinating power. 
Liquids used. 
Methyl alcohol... =. 841 a8 = 19 
Ethyl », (absolute) 834. ee ze 78 
Amyl 45 nbs 841 5 19 
Ethyl ether 484 29 
a” ” 908 1°3 
Chloroform ae 484 29°6 
89 a ep 841 6 
on a0 “ae 924 fo) 
Carbon tetrachloride ... 350 574 
», disulphide 405 63°2 
”? ” 802 58°4 
Ethyliodide .. 350 65°4 
” ” 792 52°5 
Glycerine 157 24°2 
: ” 434 5°2 
Benzol ... 397 20 
is ee 841 8°6 
Nitrobenzol 397 17°4 
es 841 6'0 
Aniline ... 397 20°I 
H ae Ss A 841 Bae 4°2 
»» and alcohol (93°) 709 _— i... 37 
In the experiments with methyl alcohol and with glycerine the 
presence of small quantities of water must have contributed not 
a little in augmenting the action of the liquid on the vitality of 
the seeds. 
Experiments were made to see the action of ethyl-alcohol when 
at different degrees of dilution. It was observed that, when the 
solution contained less than 50 per cent. of alcohol, the seeds 
easily got swollen, and were rapidly killed. The following are 
the results of experiments where Lucerne seeds, from the same 
sample, were kept for 834 days in different mixtures of alcohol 
and water :— 
Degree of the alcoholic 
solution, Gay-Lussac’s 
scale, per cent. in volume. 
Percentage of seeds that 
retained the germinating 
power. 
60 abs bos aa fon 0 fo} 
70 eS By, AD ec ths fo) 
80 nas 23 
90 Hee ot a 62 
100 “00 S00 ae ds 63 
100 bes ... 78 
Absolute or nearly absolute, alcohol rapidly destroys the ger- 
minating power of some kinds of seeds, such as wheat, flax, &c. 
In some cases seeds resist the action even of boiling liquids, 
when the temperature of the boiling point is not too high. ‘Thus, 
of Lucerne seeds that had been for 160 hours in boiling ether 
(boiling point 36°) 31 per cent. were still capable of germinating. 
Seeds of the same plant were kept for 81 hours in boiling carbon 
disulphide (boiling point 43°): 75 per cent. of the seeds sprouted 
when sown in moist sand. After five hours boiling in absolute 
alcohol (boiling point 78°) only 9} per cent. of the Lucerne seeds 
did germinate. 
In all the experiments where seeds, previously swollen in 
water, were brought in contact with other liquids, such as abso- 
lute alcohol, ether, carbon disulphide, the germinative power 
was quickly destroyed. 
The last series of experiments was made with solutions of 
solids and gases in liquids different from water. Great care had 
NATURE 
Jam 
to be taken in washing the seeds, the germinative power of 
which had to be tested on the moist sand well with alcohol, and 
then with water ; the presence, even of traces, of the solution in 
which the seeds had been immersed was sufficient, in some 
cases, to entirely prevent germination, ‘The following are expe- 
riments made with Lucerne seeds :— 
Number of days 
in which the 
seeds remained 
Percentage of 
seeds that 
Solutions used. retained the 
in the germinating 
solution. power. 
Alcoholic solution ofiodine  ... a EE I'5 
25 or potassium bromide 757 638°4 
nH es zinc chloride 757 34°6 
” ” ”” ” Sep 376 $3°6 
no 56 mercuric chloride. 756 68°4 
Glycerine ,, copper sulphate... 757 23°71 
” ” , SD s+ 375 67°1 
* 5 arsenic trioxide ... 758 13 
” ” ” ” s+ 322 702 
Alcoholic op potassium sulphide 223 oe 8-2 
as As ammonium ,, 223 ‘e. ° 
Glycerine ne potassium cyanide 757 S60 80 
aoe 5p x ” 370i eins ee 9553 
Alcoholic FD camphor... 757 sia 70°4 
59 », phenol ee Ey 65 
Ether an a5 oe seq) 598: 69°4 
All these solutions easily destroyed the germinating power of 
wheat. 
The following results show the action of saturated alcoholic 
solutions of gases on Lucerne seeds :— 
Number of days 
in which the 
seeds remained 
Percentnge of 
seeds that 
Solution (alcohol at 97° retained the 
Gay-Lussac). 
in the germinating 
£ oh pene power. 
Alcoholic solution of sulphurette g 
hydrogen ... f 587 4 20) 
oF nA sulphur dioxide 587 ror 3 
a os nitric oxide 587 mae 20 
ITALO GIGLIOLI 
Laboratory of Agricultural Chemistry (R. Scuola Superiore 
d’Agricoltura, Portici), near Naples 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE 
OxrorD.—Dr, Acland, Dr. Burdon Sanderson, and Mr. W. 
W. Fisher, having been appointed examiners for the Radcliffe 
Travelling Fellowship, give notice that an examination will be 
held for the purpose of electing a Travelling Fellow on Tuesday, 
Tebruary 14. Candidates are to send their names to Mr, Fisher 
before February 8. 
There will be an examination at Christ Church on February 
22 for at least one Junior Studentship in Natural Science ; papers 
will be set in Chemistry, Biology, and Physics; but no candi- 
date will be allowed to offer himself for examination in more 
than two of these subjects. 
Candidates for the Natural Science Studentships who make 
Physics their principal subject are recommended to offer them- 
selyes for examination in Mathematics, at least in Algebra, 
Plane Trigonometry, and Pure Geometry, as great weight will 
be attached in their case to a knowledge of these supjects. 
Candidates for the Natural Science Studentships will also have 
to show that they possess such (a knowledye of Classics as will 
enable them to pass Responsions. 
On February 7 Convocation will be asked to pass a decree 
authorising the Curators of the University Chest to pay to the 
Delegates of the Museum a sum not exceeding 250/., for the 
purpose of providing the Linacre Professor of Physivlogy with 
additional microscopes, diagrams, and drawings for the use of 
students in the Physiological Laboratory, as weil as with addi- 
tional cupboards for containing diagrams and drawings. 
CAMBRIDGE.—The following elementary lectures on chemistry 
are being given :—Prof. Liveing's and Mr. Main’s (St. John’s 
College) General Courses ; Mr. Pattison Muir (Caius), Non- 
Metallic Elements; Mr. Lewis (Downing), Catechetical Lec- 
tures; Mr. Walker (Sidney), Organic Chemistry ; Mr. Garnett 
is lecturing on Heat at St. John’s; Mr, Glazebrook (Trinity), 
