1886.] Mr Green, On Seeds during Germination. 375 



nerves was considered. The ganglia on the 5th and 7th nerve 

 fuse with the skin, and the latter nerve branches round a gill slit 

 which subsequently disappears. The next gill slit is the most 

 anterior in the adult. Hence the most anterior gill slit of the 

 Lampreys corresponds with the first branchial gill of higher forms. 

 The Spiracle is thus not represented in Petromyzon. 



(2) On the changes undergone by the proteid substances of seeds 

 during germination. By J. R. Green. 



The writer, after alluding to the work of Vines and others, 

 whereby the nature of the proteid reserve materials in seeds had 

 been satisfactorily ascertained, and to the undoubted presence of 

 proteid matter in the growing parts of the young plant, derived 

 from such reserve store, touched upon the theory held by many 

 botanists that the changes wrought in the reserve proteids to 

 enable them to be transported through the plant are brought 

 about by ferment action. He described investigations made by 

 himself upon the germinating seeds of Lupinus hirsutus which 

 resulted in demonstrating there the presence of such a ferment. 

 This body was able to break up fibrin in the same way as the 

 digestive juices do in the animal body, though its action was much 

 less energetic. 



March 15, 1886. 

 Prof. Foster, President, in the Chair. 

 The following were elected Fellows of the Society : 



J. J. H. Teall, M.A., St John's College. 

 S. F. Harmer, B.A., King's College. 



The following communications were made to the Society : 



(1) On the Cerebral Circulation. By Prof. Roy, M.A., and 

 C. S. Sherrington, B.A. 



(2) On a new method of Detecting Bromides ; a case of so-called 

 Catalytic Action. By H. J. H. Fenton, M.A. 



In former papers* it has been shewn that sodium hypochlorite 

 is without action on sodium carbamate in presence of sodium 

 hydroxide, whereas sodium hypobromite at once decomposes it with 

 evolution of nitrogen. 



2CONH 8 ONa + 3NaBrO +2NaOH 



= 2CO(ONa) 2 + SNaBr + 30H 2 + N 2 . 



* Client. Soc. Journ. xxxv. 12. Royal Society, Dec. 1885. 



