first paper of this series it has been shown that the ungerminated kernel of wheat l ( Triticzm vulgarc) contains polypeptides and free amino acids. It was quite natural to assume that such might also be true of the kernel of oats (AWUZ strfir~). The importance of the oat crop as food and feed has caused its constituents, especially the nitrogen compounds, to be studied by various investigators.
Concerning the proteins, it may suffice to mention that from the excellent work of Osborne 2 we know that the proteins originally present in the oat kernel are an alcoholsoluble protein, a globulin, and an alkali-soluble protein, and exceedingly small quantities of proteose and acid-albumin. The latter two, however, are very likely the result of transformations taking place during extraction,.
According to Neumeister l3 the oat grain contains peptone also. Schulze and Castor0 4 state that the non-protein nitrogenous compounds constitute 0.125 per cent. of the dry seed, or 7.5 per cent. of the total seed nitrogen.
Of these substances one was identified by Schulze as the base trigonellin," while the presence of cholin G was indicated.
Schulze T suspects that peptides may occtuin seeds since the percentage of the non-protein nitrogen in substances isolated from various seeds is considerably smaller than the nitrogen percenta, _ we of the seed as estimated according to Stutzer's * method. He says, " Man darf vielleicht vermuten, dass unter ihnen such Peptone und verwandte Kiirper (peptide) vorkommen.