Soo Stoward.—Amyloclastic Secretory Capacities of the 
endosperm, independently of the secretions of the embryo and aleurone 
layer, is capable of digesting its food reserves. 
The subject has been attacked from various standpoints by different 
investigators. A general survey of the observations and results arising 
from their investigation and their interpretation bears witness to the diver¬ 
gence of the conclusions arrived at. 
The earlier attempts to elucidate the interesting but complex pheno¬ 
mena presented by the physiology of germination as exemplified by cereal 
and other seeds are due to Gris 1 and Van Tieghem. 2 
Subsequently, more penetrative examination of certain of the aspects 
of this many-sided phenomenon was undertaken by Brown and Morris, 11 
Hansteen, 4 Puriewitsch, 5 Linz, 6 Griiss, 7 Haberlandt, 8 Brown and Escombe, 9 
Bruschi, 10 and quite recently by Ford and Guthrie. 11 
Examination of the literature dealing with these different researches 
shows that the greatest divergence in the conclusions arrived at by the 
different investigators mentioned centres itself in the question whether or 
not the inner endosperm possesses an auto-depletive capacity. 
The adherents of the rival hypotheses advanced to elucidate the 
observed experimental phenomena range themselves into two distinct 
groups. On the one hand, Brown and Morris and Brown and Escombe 
claim that the inner endosperm (barley) possesses neither vitality (or 
at most only the veriest trace) nor a capacity for self-digestion. On the 
other hand, Hansteen, Puriewitsch, Griiss (barley), and Linz (maize) suggest 
that the inner endosperm consists of living cells which are capable of 
digesting their storage reserves. 
Bruschi asserts that the inner endosperm (barley) may possess some 
residual vitality, that part of the tissue to which this attribute is ascribed 
being the more peripherally situated cells immediately subjacent to the 
triple-celled aleurone layer. 
The twofold claim made by Hansteen and Puriewitsch that the endo¬ 
sperm possesses vitality and also a self-depletive capacity requires closer 
examination. 
This claim may be at once disposed of by stating that the criterion 
employed by these authors, viz. the demonstration of enzymatic activity in 
1 Gris : Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., 5 e ser., ii, 1864, p. 90. 
2 Van Tieghem: Compt. rend., Ixxxiv, 1877, p. 582. 
8 Brown and Morris : Journ. Chem. Soc., lvii, 1890, p. 458. 
4 Hansteen : Flora, Ixix, 1894, p. 419. 
5 Puriewitsch: Jahrb. wiss. Bot., xxxi, 1897, p. 13. 
6 Linz : Jahrb. wiss. Bot., xxix, 1896, p. 267. 
7 Griiss : Ber. d. D. Bot. Ges., xi, 1893, p. 286; Jahrb. wiss. Bot., xxx, 1897, p. 644. 
8 Haberlandt: Ber. d. D. Bot. Ges., viii, 1890, p. 441. 
9 Brown and Escombe : Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond., lxiii, 1898, p. 3. 
10 Bruschi: Ann. Bot., July, 1908. 
11 Ford and Guthrie : Journ. Inst, of Brewing, xiv, 1908, p. 61. 
