Alpha-dextrins, obtained by fractional precipitation with methanol of the products of the action of Bacillus subtilis alpha-amylase on waxy-maize amylopectin, were debranched with isoamylase and the distributions of the unit chains were analysed by gel-permeation chromatography. The large alpha-dextrins still contained long B-chains after hydrolysis for 60 min, but these were absent from the small dextrins with chain numbers of approximately 11 or less. The small dextrins contained increased amounts of chains with lengths intermediate of those of the long B-chains and the main part of the short chains. After hydrolysis for 210 min, almost all of the long B-chains had disappeared and the chains with intermediate lengths had been shortened further. The distributions of the unit chains of the internal chains, obtained by debranching of the phosphorolysis (phi)-limit dextrins, gave similar results and showed that the ratio of A- to B-chains was unchanged during the alpha-amylolysis. Models for the fine structure of the intermediate alpha-dextrins are proposed.