Pickler has reported considerable absorption of water by barley grains from a saturated solution of LiCl. Using the conditions he specifies, numerous careful repetitions of his work have failed entirely to confirm this finding. There is, however, a slight gain in weight made by the seed, reaching a maximum of 7% in about 3 hrs. Previous investigators have considered that all gain in weight of seed soaked in salt solutions is due to water intake. But the present study shows that there is also salt intake, which may equal or exceed that of water in the case of saturated LiCl solution. Neither salt nor water, however, actually penetrates into the seed proper, but may be held in the outer layers of the caryopsis. A comparative study of seed coat structures reveals why barley grains show a slight increase in weight in the LiCl solution whereas cocklebur seeds show none.