RECENT ADVANCES IN SCIENCE 221 



contains an account of investigations on the Narcissus disease 

 by J. K. Ramsbottom. Originally attributed to a fungus, 

 Fusarium bulbigenum, it was found that this parasite was very 

 rare and that the main factor was an eel-worm, Tylenchus devas- 

 tatrix. This conclusion was confirmed by inoculation experi- 

 ments. The same species of eel-worm attacks Rye, Oats, 

 Clover, Onions, and Hyacinths, and the experiments did not 

 provide support for the view that each is the victim of a special 

 biological strain. The author recommends soaking the bulbs 

 for from 2-4 hours in water at 44 ° C. as a preventive measure. 

 Infection of the attacked bulbs by parasitic fungi is not infre- 

 quent, but in all cases this appears to be secondary. 



PLANT PHYSIOLOGY. By Ingvar Jorgensen, Cand. Phil., D.I.C., 

 University College, London. (Plant Physiology Committee.) 



Carbon Assimilation. — The many hypotheses concerning the 

 chemical aspect of carbon assimilation are considered in a 

 recent monograph by H. Schroeder, " Die Hypothesen iiber 

 die chemischen Vorgange bei der Kohlensaure-Assimilation 

 und ihre Grundlagen " (Jena 191 7, pp. 168). As the author 

 cautiously points out, the problems of carbon assimilation are 

 not likely to be solved in the near future, and it is far more 

 important to realise the limitations for experimental attack ; 

 no hypothesis can be proved : all that can be expected is 

 greater or less probability. The need for physiological experi- 

 ments is obvious ; chemical, synthetic, and analytical work alone 

 can scarcely prove convincing in regard to such a process as 

 carbon assimilation, which occurs with such rapidity. The 

 author admits that none of the hundreds of hypotheses he 

 deals with can claim even probability, therefore he does not 

 consider it justified to put forward any new hypothesis himself, 

 as it probably would only share the fate of its predecessors. 

 Such a cautious attitude is not adopted by Willstatter and 

 Stoll, who in the last few years have presented several new 

 hypotheses. In their last communications, " Uber die Baeyersche 

 Assimilations Hypothese " (Ber. d. deut. chem. Ges. 50, 1 771-91, 

 1917) and "liber das Verhalten des kolloiden Chlorophylls 

 gegen Kohlensaure (Ber. d. deut. chem. Ges. 50, 1791-1801, 191 7), 

 they renew the discussion of Baeyer's formaldehyde hypothesis. 

 Their method of attack is so far noteworthy that an attempt 

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