Barley Grain in Relation to Localized Water Absorption. 409 
on the furrow side. Then the action rapidly extended to the starch 
granules adjacent to the ventral side of the scutellum. As germination 
proceeded and the action upon the starch gradually extended, this was 
found to take place much earlier in the cells of the endosperm lying imme¬ 
diately under the aleurone layer than in those of the central portion of the 
endosperm, and he observed that dissolution of the starch on the dorsal 
side in the neighbourhood of the furrow took place last of all. No doubt 
the rapid disintegration of the sub-aleuronic starch cells led Haberlandt to 
endeavour to prove that the aleurone layer was active in secretion. He 
finally came to this conclusion, although he was not able to obtain positive 
evidence by a direct test with a portion of the aleurone layer itself when 
isolated from a ripe dry resting grain. 
In criticizing Haberlandt’s experimental evidence and refuting the 
theory of aleuronic secretion, Brown and Morris recorded the fact, which is 
interesting as bearing directly on the argument put forward in the present 
. paper, that there was no evidence of isolated action anywhere along the 
seat of the aleurone cells such as one would expect if the aleurone cells 
were capable of secretion. 
Since 1890 many papers have been published dealing with the origin 
and distribution of the enzymes in the barley grain and the related 
phenomena of life and death of the endosperm and its capacity for self¬ 
digestion. These problems have been attacked by various investigators 
from different points of view. 
It will be seen that the spread of enzyme action is precisely the path 
of penetrant liquids within the endosperm, and there can be no doubt that 
the phenomena are intimately related. Water undoubtedly enters the grain 
by way of the micropyle and the embryonic appendage; in this way the 
needs of the embryo are rapidly supplied. It is also considered probable 
that, later, water passes to the endosperm at the germinal end through the 
furrow tissue, which at this point comprises only the glandular group of 
cells. Was it possible that the water took up the ferment or an activator 
during the course of its directed passage into the grain ? A few preliminary 
experiments were made in an endeavour to answer this question, and 
although no absolute conclusion was reached it has been thought as well to 
place the results on record. Whatever conclusion may ultimately be arrived 
at, the mode of entry of water into the grain and its distribution in the 
endosperm makes the mode of progression of enzyme action the more easy 
to understand. 
The embryos were carefully removed from 100 dry grains; from each 
grain the germinal end of the furrow tissue was cut out, avoiding as far as 
possible the starch cells. Similarly, small chips of the coverings and sub¬ 
jacent tissues from the curved surface of the grain were cut out. These 
isolated portions were placed to soak for a short time in a few cubic 
