Vines . — Proteolytic Enzymes in Plants. 243 
imported from Spain; the Cucumber (Cucumis sativus') ; the 
Vegetable Marrow ( Cucurbita Pepo var. ovifera) ; the Squirt- 
ing Cucumber ( Ecb allium Elateriuvi). The seeds and the 
rind were previously removed in most cases. 
Cucumis Melo. 
The expressed juice is a turbid, acid liquid, giving distinct trypto- 
phane-reaction : 30 cc. of it were placed in each of three bottles, and 
treated as follows: — 1, nothing added: 2, added 0-3 grm. Witte- 
peptone : 3, added 0*3 grm. of Witte-peptone, and acidified with HC 1 
to 0-18 %. 
After 4 hours in the incubator, the tryptophane-reaction had 
become rather stronger in Nos. 1 and 3, and was marked in 2 : 
19 hours later, it was rather stronger in 1, about the same in 2, 
and strong in 3. 
Cucumis sativus . 
The material used in the first experiment consisted of field or ridge 
Cucumbers which had begun to turn yellow, and were therefore nearly 
ripe. 
The expressed juice was turbid, greenish, acid, giving distinct 
tryptophane-reaction : 30 cc. of it were placed in each of three bottles, 
treated as follows: — 1, nothing added: 2, added 0*3 grm. Witte- 
peptone : 3, added 0-3 grm. Witte-peptone, and acidified with HC 1 
to 0-18 %. 
After 3 hours in the incubator, the tryptophane-reaction in No. 1 
was as at first, whilst it had become marked in 2 and 3 : 2-| hours 
later it was more distinct in 1, and strong in 2 and 3. 
A second experiment was made with green Cucumbers grown in 
a house ; the juice of this unripe fruit gave no tryptophane-reaction 
to begin with. 50 cc. of the juice were placed in each of two bottles ; 
to No. 1 nothing was added; to No. 2, 0-25 grm. Witte-peptone. 
After 2 hours in the incubator, No. 1 gave a distinct, and No. 2 
a marked, tryptophane-reaction : after 24 hours’ digestion the reaction 
of No. 1 was about the same, whilst that of No. 2 had become 
strong. 
Cucurbita Pepo var. ovifera. 
The expressed juice of the Vegetable Marrow is a turbid, yellowish, 
almost neutral liquid, giving a marked tryptophane-reaction. 
