Xll. PEOCEEDINGS LIVEEPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



tographs, of the Siphonophora. He described in 

 detail some of the many interesting points in 

 connection with the group. Additional observa- 

 tions were made by Prof. Herdman, Mr. Thompson, 

 the Secretary and others. 

 4. Prof. E. J. Harvey Gibson gave a paper on the 

 ''Diagnostic Characters of the Subgenera and 

 Species of Selaginella." (See " Transactions," 

 p. 148). 



The sixth meeting of the Society was held at University 

 College on Friday, 9th March, 1894, Dr. Newton, Presi- 

 dent, in the chair. 



1. Prof. J. Keynolds Green, M.A., B.Sc, of the Phar- 

 maceutical Society of Great Britain gave a paper 

 on the " Germination of the Pollen Grain." 



In introducing the subject he referred to the 

 work of Van Tieghem, Maugin, Strasburger and 

 other writers, which indicated the action of enzymes 

 similar to those present in seeds and other parts, 

 and described experiments carried out by himself 

 during the past two years which led him to the 

 following conclusions : — 



1. The enzymes which can be isolated from 

 pollen grains of various plants are diastase and 

 invertase. The former converts starch into malt 

 sugar, the latter transforms cane sugar into dex- 

 trose. Some pollens contain both these enzymes, 

 some only one. 



2. At the onset of germination usually the 

 amount of enzyme can be found to increase con- 

 siderably. As the grain gets older it loses the 

 power of germinating and at this time the amount 

 of ferment is very much diminished, almost to 

 extinction. 



