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HARDWICRE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



proceeding from the germinating spore, are at first undivided ; 

 not till after a time do they break up into the typical rows of 

 cells. Sometimes the growth of the spores into threads takes 

 place while they are still within the mother cell. 



Spkeerotilus ochraceus;de Brebiss. inlitt., Kiitzing, "Species 

 Algarum," p. 147, does not belong to this genus. 



XV. Crenothrix, Cohn. Threads cylindrical, 

 somewhat clavately thickened upwards, articulated, 

 provided with a sheath. Multiplication by means of 

 the joints, which escape from the sheath and grow 

 into threads. Reproduction by spores, which are 

 formed in the sheath by further subdivision of the 

 joint-cells. The spores either grow directly into 

 threads, or form by continued subdivision gelatinous 

 colonies of roundish cells, which afterwards produce 

 threads. 



69. C. Kiihniana (Rabenh.), Zopf. 

 Leptothrix Kiihniana, Rabenh. 

 Hyphcothrix Kiihniana, Rabenh. 

 Crenothrix polyspora, Cohn. 

 ? Palmellina flocculosa, Radlkofer. 

 Threads in whitish or brownish tufts, 1J-5 fi thick, 

 increasing to 6-9 /j. towards the end ; joints of very 

 varied lengths. Spores 1-6 fj. in diameter. 

 In wells and drainpipes, etc. 



trated in the " Flora." I have therefore collected 

 figures of a great many species, from various sources, 

 in addition to one or two drawn from nature, which 

 will, I hope, render the identification of the forms 

 more easy. It must be observed, however, that the 

 " Kryptogamen-Flora " is that of Germany, Austria, 

 and Switzerland, and hence may possibly contain 

 some species which do not occur in our country. 

 But to mutilate it, as is the practice in too many 

 cases, by omitting those of which it is supposed no 

 record has hitherto been made in Britain, would be 

 to deprive it of half its usefulness. No one can say 

 yet that any one of the sixty-nine species included in 

 the foregoing list does not occur in these islands ; in 







[Fig. 77. — Spharotilus nafans (after Kiitzing). 



A fungus which is often very troublesome, because it defiles 

 the water and stops up the narrower pipes. — The cylindrical 

 threads, somewhat clavate above, are visibly articulated ; the 

 joints afterwards separate from one another, but are then sur- 

 rounded by a sheath, which, originally colourless, becomes of a 

 yellow or yellowish-brown colour by impregnation with iron. 

 The sheath, at first closed, is burst at last by the continually 

 dividing joints, which then escape. Each joint can develop a 

 new thread. In other cases, however, the thread remains 

 enclosed in the sheath ; its joints are divided by closely con- 

 tiguous transverse partitions into flat discs, which then break up 

 by vertical partitions into smaller roundish cells : the latter may 

 be designated the spores of the fungus. They often develop, even 

 while still within the sheath, into new threads, which grow 

 through the gelatinous swollen sheath ; or else they leave the 

 sheath, and undergo further development outside it. They either 

 grow into threads,or form by repeated bipartition larger or smaller 

 colonies of roundish cells, held together by their membranes, 

 which assume a gelatinous consistence. These colonies are 

 designated the Palmella form (probably the Palmellina flocculosa 

 of Radlkofer) ; each of their cells can again form a thread. 



C3 



This completes the number of the Schizomycetes, 

 according to Dr. Winter's account of them, in the 

 last edition of Rabenhorst's "Kryptogamen-Flora." 

 In concluding the translation of this portion of that 

 work, I wish to make a few remarks, first concerning 

 the translation, secondly concerning the Schizomycetes 

 themselves. When I commenced my task, as will 

 be seen from the few prefatory words on page 148 in 

 the last volume, it was my intention to add nothing 

 to the translation ; but, as I proceeded, it became 

 obvious that its value would be much increased if 

 figures were given of more species than the few illus- 



Fig. 78. — Crenothrix Kiihniana (after Zopf.). — a, vegetative 

 threads ; 6, Palmella-form ; c, spore-forming threads. 



fact, considering the close similarity in climate and 

 other circumstances between this country and Central 

 Europe, as well as the nature of the fungi, we may 

 conjecture that nearly every one will ultimately be 

 found here. To facilitate this result is my object ; and 

 if the British observers of this group will communi- 

 cate to me lists of those species which they have 

 found, addressed to the Mason College, Birmingham, 

 they shall be gratefully acknowledged and used to 

 prepare, for the readers of Science-Gossip, as com- 

 plete a catalogue as can be formed of the Schizomy- 

 cetous flora of the British Islands. 



In the second place, a lew ; words must be said 

 concerning the principle on which the foregoing list 

 is compiled. Students of Algre will see that many 



