392 On Chemical Composition of Aleur one- Grains. [May 13, 



C. Crystalloids entirely soluble in NaCI or MgS0 4 solution : — 



a. Readily soluble in both 10 per cent, and saturated solutions, 

 Bertholletia, pumpkin (Cucurbita), artificial crystals. 



b. Slowly soluble in 10 per cent, .solutions, more readily soluble in 

 20 per cent, solutions, soluble in saturated solutions only after treat- 

 ment with alcohol, Hicinus communis, Viola elatior, Linum usitatis- 

 simum. 



The crystalloids of Musa Hillii and of Musa JEnsete (for this material 

 also I am indebted to Dr. Schimper) are remarkable for their insolu- 

 bility. They swell-up slightly, but do not dissolve in solutions of 

 neutral salts of various degrees of concentration and in 1 per cent. 

 Na 3 C0 3 solution. They swell-up considerably, but do not dissolve in 

 dilute HC1. They swell-up and dissolve partially in dilute KHO. 

 They therefore, probably consist of some relatively insoluble albuminate. 



When treated with 10 or 20 per cent, solution of NaCl or MgS0 4 , 

 the crystalloids of Sparganium ramosum swell-up considerably, and 

 the central portion dissolves, leaving the external portion of the 

 crystalloid as a thick-walled vesicle ; on the addition of water, a 

 granular precipitate is thrown down inside the vesicle. The process 

 of solution is the same when the crystalloids are treated with 1 per 

 cent. Na 3 C0 3 solution, but dilution with water does not, in this case, 

 produce a precipitate inside the vesicle. The central portion of the 

 crystalloid dissolves also when they are treated with saturated NaCl 

 solution, but the swelling-up is less considerable. The vesicle dissolves 

 readily in dilute KHO, and in dilute ("4 per cent.) HC1. These 

 crystalloids, therefore, consist of two substances, a vitellin, forming 

 the central mass, and an albuminate, forming the outer portion. This 

 albuminate may be probably regarded as having been produced by an 

 alteration of the globulin of which the whole crystalloid doubtless con- 

 sisted originally. 



It appears that no definite relation exists between the crystalline 

 form and the solubility of the crystalloids in solutions of neutral salts. 

 According to Schimper (loc. cit.) all the crystalloids which I have 

 examined belong to two systems, the regular and the hexagonal. 



1. Hexagonal rhombohedra : crystalloids of Musa, Sparganium, 

 Bertholletia, and the artificial crystals obtained from Bertholletia. 



2. Regular tetrahedra : crystalloids of Ricinus, Yiola, Linum, Cucur- 

 bita, and the artificial crystals obtained from Cucurbita. 



In all cases I found the aleurone- grain to be invested by a peri- 

 pheral layer (Hullmembran), which is apparently insoluble, and which, 

 as Pfeffer suggests, contributes to form the proteid network or matrix 

 which remains in the cells after the more soluble portions of the grains 

 have been dissolved out. 



Whenever saturated solutions of NaCI were used, or when satura- 

 tion with NaCl was necessary, for the purpose of separating myosin 



