238 TRANSACTIONS LIYEEPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



molecule is being built up again will be shorter in the 

 case of Hemp than in that of Peas. The fact that the 

 vitality of oily seeds is much less pronounced than that 

 of starchy seeds, could similarly be explained as being 

 due to the fact that the molecular structure of the vital 

 contents of an oily seed approximates more nearly to that 

 of protoplasm and that these vital contents are hence less 

 capable of resisting the action of injurious external influ- 

 ences or of preserving their peculiar molecular arrangement 

 unchanged for long periods of time, than are the less 

 complex vital contents of a starchy seed. 



OXYTEOPIC lEEITABILITY OF EOOTS. 



The first experiments were performed with Peas. 

 These were suspended by wires fixed to the under surface 

 of a large cork which loosely covered the top of a large 

 glass jar. The latter was half filled with water which 

 having been well boiled for some time was devoid of 

 oxygen. The Peas were fixed so as just to touch the 

 surface of the water, half of them having the radicle 

 pointing upwards and half with it pointing downwards. 

 The Peas had been previously well soaked in water so as 

 to ensure rapid germination and were kept in a well 

 shaded position. When the Peas germinated it was seen 

 that the radicles which were to commence with pointing 

 downwards, grew downwards for a short distance but 

 then bent laterally or curved sharply upwards. Most of 

 the radicles which were pointing upwards grew in that 

 direction for a much longer period than usual before the 

 downward geotropic curvature took place, but when the 

 radicles reached the surface of the water instead of growing 

 down into it they either bent upwards or grew along over 

 the surface. 



It was hence evident that some influence was at work 



