— 5S — 



germinate. In so far as the above experiments are concerned, 

 ether retarded the germination of the spores even in the 

 light, and had no affect lipon their germination in the dark. 



The non-nitrogenous food supply of spores is in the form 

 of oils or fat. The first change of the fats in germination 

 is apparently a decomposition into glycerine and fatty acid. 1 

 That the ultimate product from this food supply which is used 

 in the nrst is a carbohydrate in the form of sugar may be 

 surraised. At any rate the faüure of the spores to germinate 

 in the dark is due presnmably to the fact that conditions 

 are not afforded for the chemical changes which the reserve 

 material mnst nndergo before it can be used as plastic material 

 for the growth of the cell. There is a possibility that the 

 faüure to germinate may be due to the proteid reserve 

 material remaining in a form which can not be used. This 

 is howerer not as probable as the view just advanced for the 

 non-nitrogenous food reserve. If the supposition is correct, 

 spores when supplied with organic material in the form which 

 the reserve assumes ultimately in germination, might be 

 expected to germinate in complete darkness. 



As a nutritive Solution the following preparation was 

 made: to 100 cc of l / 4 pro mille normal, inorganic nutritive 

 Solution, 2°/ of grape sugar and one percent of peptone was 

 added, and the whole sterilized on the water bath for one 

 hour. Cultures of Funaria spores were made for both light 

 and dark and supplied with this nutritive Solution, as great 

 precautions as possible being taken to keep the cultures sterile. 

 An examination of the cultures at the end of three days, 

 showed that the spores had germinated as well in the dark 

 as in the light. The very noticable feature of this experi- 

 ment was that under these conditions the protonema were 

 four or five times as large as when supplied with only in- 

 organic nourishment and grown in the light; also that the 

 cells were crowded with large, irregulär starch masses, as 

 shown by the iodine test. The question now was: Is this 



1 Vinea, Physiology of plants p. 173. 1886. 



