232 TEANSACTIONS LIVEEPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



the substances (namely, water) belonging to the dissociated 

 molecular group. 



The action of absolute alcohol upon a seed destroying 

 its vitality as it penetrates the integument might also be 

 due to the same cause, either breaking up the molecular 

 groups, or withdrawing from the protoplasm the last 

 traces of water it contains but might possibly be a direct 

 action upon the proteids of the protoplasm. Prolonged 

 treatment with absolute alcohol renders proteids totally 

 insoluble, sooner or later. The action upon the proteids 

 of the seed would be of a similar nature, these gradually 

 becoming more and more insoluble. This would explain 

 the delay of germination seen in seeds planted after pro- 

 longed immersion in alcohol as being partly due to a 

 direct effect upon the proteids of the seed rendering them 

 slightly more insoluble and hence less readily available 

 for immediate use. This effect could never be very 

 marked since the actual penetration of the alcohol is 

 rapidly followed by the death of the seed. As we have 

 seen the delay in germination is for the most part caused 

 by the withdrawal of water and this does not necessarily 

 involve the actual penetration of the alcohol. Besides 

 it must be remembered that however prolonged the 

 treatment with alcohol may be, provided that the seed 

 germinates into a healthy seedling, the food material 

 is as completely absorbed from an alcohol seed as from a 

 normal one. 



There are only two theories possible to explain the 

 excessive vitality and great resistant power shewn by 

 Phanerogamic seeds. The first, which has already been 

 mentioned, assumes that the mature seed is not really a 

 living body but simply possesses a potential power of 

 creating life and that this life when created runs along 

 certain lines determined by the hereditary nature of the 

 reconstructed protoplasm. 



