504 
The Seed and its Gemination. 
be comparatively loose and to contain large cavities filled with 
cell sap. 
The process of dissolution is not, however, as at first sight it 
seems to be, one of simply dissolving the aleurone grains in 
Fig. 18.— Cell from Fig. 19.— Cell from Fig. 20.— Cell Fig.21.— Cell from 
Cotyledon of Lu- germinating Lu- from Lupin, Lupin at a later 
pin before com- pin, taken rclien taken rthen stage than Fig. 
mencement of Germi/iationisjust Germination 20. The Aleu- 
Germination. commencing. is progressing. rone Grains have 
a, aleurone grain 5 - The A leurone disappeared. 
Grains are 
disappearing. 
water absorbed from outside. The proteids of the lupin are 
almost insoluble in water, the greater part being a globulin, 
and the rest a mixture of albumoses. They are all incapable 
of diffusing or dialysing through a membrane. Yet, as they do 
disappear and pass out from cell to cell, it is evident that they 
undergo a transformation into a diffusible form. 
As in the case of tbe carbohydrates, we find on investigation 
that we have here again a process of digestion due to the action 
of another ferment. The germinating lupin seed, when extracted 
with weak solution of common salt, or with glycerine, in which 
most ferments of this kind are easily soluble, has been found to 
give up to the solvent the active principle in question, which 
has the power of dissolving hard-boiled white of egg, or 
muscle substance, or other proteid material. When 'this has 
disappeared into solution, it has been found to have been con- 
verted into peptone, the diffusible proteid described above, which 
can be separated from the solvent with considerable ease. 
The first product of the working of this ferment is evidently 
peptone ; but peptone does not appear in any amount in the 
growing plant, so that its formation is the first stage only. A 
new crystalline substance can, however, be extracted with facility 
and in some quantity. This is asparagin, a peculiar acid body 
containing nitrogen, which crystallises from its watery solutions 
in beautiful rhombs of considerable size. This results in the 
