I. The effect of acid concentration and time of hydrolysis on the amount of nitrogen dissolved from sewage sludge and composts was investigated. The amounts of a-aminonitrogen and ammonia-nitrogen in solution were determined.2 . The amount of total nitrogen dissolved by 22% (w/v) hydrochloric acid in 16 hours at 100' was 83-88%, and this did not increase appreciably in 48 hours.3. a-Amino-nitrogen in this solution reacbed a maximum in 16 hours and then decreased ; ammonia-nitrogen continued to i se up to 48 hours. The increase in ammonia was attributed to deamination.4. The a-amino-nitrogen and amide-nitrogen contents of composts from wheat straw and sewage sludge, and wheat straw and ammonium sulphate, and the solubility of the nitrogen in 2 % and 22% (w/v) hydrochloric acid were determined at different stages of decomposition.5. The changes in the percentage of total nitrogen present as a-amino-nitrogen and amide-nitrogen were greatest during the first few weeks of composting.6. The percentage composition of the insoluble organic nitrogen present, defined as the nitrogen not soluble in cold o-IN-hydrochloric acid, appeared to be almost independent after 3 months' decomposition of the initial source of nitrogen used in composting.