90 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEA.RCHES RELATING TO 



Mycetozoa. 



(By A. LoRRAiN Smith, F.L.S.). 



Notes on New or Rare Myxomycetes.* — W. C. Sturo^is has been 

 studying a series of interesting Mycetozoa collected mainly by himself in 

 Colorado. He describes and figures three new species, and gives many 

 notes on the habitat and developments of other forms. 



Irish Mycetozoa.t— The records of all Irish Mycetozoa up to the 

 present date have been compiled by Margaret W. Rea and Margarita de 

 Stelfox. The list, which includes thirteen species not previously reported 

 from Ireland, is followed by notes on the habitat and occurrence of a 

 number of species. The species Physarum pulcherripes was found in a 

 larch plantation at Rostrevor ; it is the first European record. The 

 writers have also found the typical form of Stemonitis splendens, all 

 other collections in the British Isles being the variety Webberi. Licia 

 minima is also a new British record. 



Contribution to the Life-history of Spongospora subterranea.f 

 L. 0. Kunkel finds that infection of potato-tubers by this organism is 

 accomplished, not by separate amoebae, but by creeping plasmodium 

 which passes down through and between the epidermal cells. Usually 

 a number of cells are killed at the point of entrance. Once beneath the 

 epidermis it spreads out in all directions, and forms a rather flat disc- 

 shaped mass, which separates the epidermis from the tissue beneath. 

 The subsequent developments of the organism and its influence on the 

 host are followed and described. In cultures allowed to become dry 

 " the Plasmodium encysts, as is common among the Myxomycetes. In 

 many respects it accords with members of the Dictyosteiiacefe ; branched 

 sporophores are formed and spores as in DictyosteJium. The spores on 

 germinating give rise to amoebae each with one nucleus." 



Schizophyta. 

 Schizomycetes. 



Erythrogenous Variety of Bacillus pyocyaneus. §— C. Gessard 

 received a culture of B. fyocyanem obtained from a wound. After a 

 time on special media the organism developed a red pigment. The most 

 favourable medium appears to be a mixture of pepton, glycerin, and 

 agar. This medium became stained a bright red throughout. 



Bacteria of Dust.||— E. Burnet has made an investigation of the 

 bacteriology of dust collected from various sources, such as traracars,. 

 railway carriages, theatres, and cinematographs, and from the interior of 



* Mycologia, ix. (1917) pp. 323-32 (2 pis.), 

 t Irish Naturalist, xxvi. (1917) pp. 57-65. 

 \ Journ. Agric. Research, iv. (1915) pp. 265-78 (5 pis.). 

 § Comptes Rendus, cliv. (1917) pp. 1071-3. 

 !! Ann. Inst. Pasteur, ixxi. (1917) pp. 593-600. 



