204 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



absolute. As a general rule it may be stated that the more robust the 

 structure and the less delicate the chromatophores of a plant, the more 

 successfully does it withstand the intrusion of salt water. The order of 

 resisting power among the genera experimented upon stands thus : — 

 Gladophora, (Edogonium, Vaucheria, and species of Spirogyra with large 

 chromatophores, and lastly, species of Spirogyra with numerous and 

 slender spirals. 



Reverse experiments of cultivating marine, species in fresh water were 

 successfully carried out, and the author comes to the conclusion that 

 many algae can, under favourable conditions, develop equally well in fresh 

 or in salt water. 



Fungi. 



Sclerospora.* — G. B. Traverso has made a critical study of the 

 species constituting the above genus, S. Kriegeriana, S. macrospora, and 

 S. graminicola, all of them parasitic on grasses. He comes to the con- 

 clusion that S. Kriegeriana is not distinct from S. macrospora, the older 

 species, and that there are but the two forms that attack the GramineEe 

 S. macrospora and S. graminicola. 



Urophlyctis bohemica.t — P. Magnus gives a historical and critical 

 account of this fungus. It was found by Passerini on Trifolium pra- 

 tense and named by him Synchytrium Trifolii. At a later date Bubak 

 found it on T. montanurn and named it Urophlyctis bohemica. Magnus 

 confirms its classification under Urophlyctis, but gives it the first specific 

 name Trifolii. It is found all over Europe. 



Research on Amylomyces /?. X — This fungus, a species of Mucor, 

 has been much used in distilleries on account of the large amount of 

 diastase it contains. W. Henneberg has instituted a series of cultures 

 to test its capacity of growth in various media. A long account is given 

 of the different experiments. The chief results arrived at are, that maize 

 mash is a specially favourable matrix for the growth of the fungus ; that 

 in potato mash, under a pressure cf 3-4 atm., products of an acid nature 

 are developed which interfere with its growth, though the same substance, 

 less highly heated, might be used with advantage ; and finally, that the 

 fungus is very susceptible to many bacteria, and therefore bacterial 

 infection is to be guarded against. 



Biology of PiptocephalisJ — L. Matruchot has attempted to grow 

 the parasite Piptocephalis on other fungi than Mucoracea?. He experi- 

 mented with a very large and varied number of fungi, and found that 

 Piptocephalis could not be cultivated except on some member of the 

 family of Mucoraceaj. He applied this biological test to a doubtful 

 mould, GunninghameUa africana, of which the vegetative characters 

 resembled those of Mucoracese, but which instead of sporangia produced 

 only conidia. The Piptocephalis grew readily and convinced the writer 

 that Cunninghamella was a true Mucor. 



* Malpighia, xvi. (1902) pp. 2S0-90. 

 + Centralbl. Bakt., ix (1902) pp. 895-7. 



\ Zeitschr. f. Spiritusindustrie, 1902, pp. 19-29 (1 pi.). See also Centralbl. 

 Eakt., ix. (1902) pp. 333-8. 



§ Comptes Rendus, cxxxv. (1902) pp. 988-91 



