Mason — Preliminary Notes on the Carbohydrates of the Musci. 17 



Hexoses. — Dextrose and levulose are present. 



Disaccharides.—Th&t sucrose is present is shown by the following 



figures : — 



( after inversion = - 9324. 



Grams CuO reduced, { . „ . ao^oc 



( before inversion = 3485. 



Typical lamellate crystals of maltosazone were entirely absent ; on the 

 other hand, a homogeneous yield of acicular crystals, insoluble in hot water, 

 was produced on treatment with phenylhydrazine. On adding a trace of 

 pure maltose to the extract, typical maltosazone could usually be detected 

 after from three to five weeks. The presence of maltose, even in small 

 quantities, is thus rendered improbable. 



Starch was totally absent in both leaves and stem. 



Sphagnum cymbifolium. 

 Hexoses. — Dextrose and levulose occur. 



Disaccharides.— The presence of sucrose is demonstrated by the follow- 

 ing : — 



( before inversion = 0'3770. 

 Grams CuO reduced, ' , . . ao^o 



( after inversion = - 8454. 



The presence of maltose was not brought to light by the use of 

 phenylhydrazine. 



Starch is absent from the leaves, but has been found in minute quantities 

 in the stems of some of the material. 



Thus dextrose, levulose, and sucrose have been found in all the material 

 examined, and maltose in those containing any appreciable quantities of 

 starch. 



(2) IDENTIFICATION OF ENZYMES. 



General Method of Preparation. — The material to be examined is immersed 

 in 95 per cent, alcohol for thirty minutes ; when freed as far as possible 

 from the alcohol it is slowly dried at 30 c C. The dried material is reduced to 

 a fine powder, and placed aside for examination. 



By means of the above treatment it was found that the plants were freed 

 from much of their sugars. 



The decanted alcohol contains an abundance of tannin. 



Invertase. 



Our knowledge of the invertase of the flowering plants is now fairly 

 extensive. Special attention may be drawn to the works of Ruhland (8), and 

 Kastle and Clarke 5). 



The object that has been held in view here is not so much an examination 

 of the enzyme under different conditions, or a comparison with the invertase 



