56 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
conclusion that the question whether the constituents of oily seeds are 
transformed directly into carbohydrates during germination, must be 
answered in a different way in different cases. In the former case 
arachidic acid appears to contribute but very slightly to the production 
of sugars ; while in the latter case ricinoleic acid (an incomplete acid- 
alcohol) plays an important part in this reaction. The difference is 
probably due to differences in the arrangement of the molecules in the 
formative substances. 
Decomposition of Proteids with Formation of Asparagin and Glu- 
tamin in Seedlings.* * * § — Herr E. Schulze confirms Suzuki’s statement 
that asparagin and argenin can be produced in leaves from ammonia 
formed during the decomposition of proteids. The decomposition of 
proteids in seedlings consists in the hydrolytic breaking up of the pro- 
teid molecules. 
Formation of Albumen in the Germination of Onion-Bulbs.f — In 
the germination in the dark of bulbs of Allian Cepa , Herr W. Zaleski has 
been able to determine a considerable increase in the proteid substances, 
rising from 32 to as much as 52*5 per cent. Their formation is, how- 
ever, dependent on certain conditions, especially on the presence of con- 
siderable quantities of carbohydrates. The bulbs contain a much 
smaller proportion of reserve proteids than do the seeds. It is only at 
a late period of germination, in the case of the onion, that the quantity 
of proteids begins to decrease. The amount of asjDaragin remains con- 
stant during germination. The formation of proteids in the dark cannot 
be due exclusively to asparagin and glutamin. 
Alcoholic Fermentation without Yeast-cells4— Herren E. Buchner 
and R. Rapp obtain in the following manner a yellow powder completely 
soluble in water which has nearly the same power of inducing fermenta- 
tion as yeast. 500 ccm. of freshly expressed yeast-juice is mixed with a 
few drops of olive oil, and evaporated rapidly under diminished pressure 
at 20°~25° C. to a syrupy consistency. This syrup is spread on glass 
plates and dried for about a day ; the residue is then scraped off, and 
dried further under sulphuric acid. 
y. General. 
Conception of Species. § — In his address as President to the Botani- 
cal Section of the A.A.A.S, at Boston, Prof. W. G. Farlow dwells on the 
changes which have taken place in the conception of species during re- 
cent years, his illustrations being taken entirely from the family of 
Fungi. He lays stress on the fact that theoretical considerations with 
regard to evolution play a much less important part than they did when 
the Darwinian hypothesis first came to be generally accepted. “ The 
best systematist is not he who attempts to make his species conform to 
* Chem. Ztg., xxi. (1897) pp. 625-8. See Journ. Chem. Soc., 1898, Abstr., ii. 
p. 481. Cf. this Journal, 1898, p. 103. 
t Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesell., xvi. (1898) pp. 147-51. 
* Ber. Deutsch. Chem. Gesell., xxxi. (1898) pp. 1531-3. See Journ. Chem. Soc., 
1893, Abstr., ii. p. 480. Cf. this Journal, 1898, p. 219. 
§ Amer. Naturalist, xxxii. (1898) pp. 675-95. 
