68 Pond.—The Incapacity of thé 
and Puriewitsch that the amyliferous cells of the endosperm of the grasses 
have a definite power of digesting their reserve materials, this power being 
entirely independent of any influence of the embryo, the only necessary 
condition for its exhibition being that the products of metabolism shall not 
be allowed to accumulate within the endosperm. 
As a result of this reinvestigation Brown and Escombe (98, p. 14) 
have demonstrated a hydrolytic capacity of the aleurone cells of barley. 
Degermed endosperms steeped in saturated aqueous chloroform twenty-four 
hours show no depletion for several days, until invaded by organisms, while 
others not chloroformed show marked sub-aleuronic depletion and dissolu- 
tion of starch grains. Cytological study of aleurone cells shows a ‘well 
defined nucleus and all the usual cytological evidence of activity,’ and these 
cells are commonly regarded as living units. They also find (’98, p. 18), 
from a cytological study of the amyliferous cells (barley), that the latter are 
in a very different condition from that of the aleurone cells. The nucleus is 
deformed, and the general structure indicates senescence. Actual trial 
showed the amyliferous cells to be without digestive capacity. Endosperms 
without embryos or aleurone, under favourable conditions for germination 
and removal of metabolic products, showed no difference as compared with 
similar ones treated with saturated aqueous chloroform for twenty-four 
hours. No visible changes occurred in either case until appearance of 
organisms, when visible changes did occur, so that it is possible, though 
tather improbable, that changes might have occurred later if the organisms 
had been kept out. This work of Brown and Escombe may, then, be 
regarded as demonstrating the capacity of the aleurone layer of barley 
for endosperm depletion and as rendering such capacity on the part of 
_ the amyliferous cells highly improbable. 
The literature thus examined shows that auto-digestion by the amy- 
laceous endosperms of grasses or by the horny endosperms of palms has 
_ not been successfully demonstrated, although such a claim has been made 
by different authors, and this claim has been accepted hitherto. On the 
other hand, the presence of an enzyme in the aleurone cells of barley has 
been demonstrated, and Puriewitsch has made reasonably certain a similar 
_ Statement for other cereals. The question of the vitality of either aleurone 
_ cells or of endosperm cells is quite open, for the simple reason that actual 
_ Vitality tests have not been applied. The work of Brown and Escombe 
above cited indicates, but does not demonstrate, that the aleurone cells 
are living, and that the amyliferous cells are not. 
pe ae INVESTIGATION, 
| _ Material and its preparation.—By applying to a large wholesale candy 
_ house I was able to secure a large quantity of seeds without buying the 
fruit. There is a.further advantage in that such firms get the best and 
i 
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SER SEY, S me setae oe LR ee eT 
