ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC, 71 



Carbohydrates of Musci.* — T. G. Mason describes the methods of 

 detecting the different sugars in the three mosses — Polytrkhum commune, 

 Thuidium tamariscinum, and Sphagnum ci/mbifolium, and the storage 

 and translocation of carbohydrates in these plants. He found dextrose, 

 levulose, and sucrose in all three species, and maltose in Polytrickum and 

 Sphagnum wherever starch is present. Sucrose is the first sugar to 

 appear after illumination ; and the author is of opinion that sucrose is 

 the first formed sugar in the chloroplast, and that in Polytrkhum 

 commune and Sphagnum cymbifolium it is in the form of hexo^es that 

 the sugars undergo translocation. 



Water-conduction in Marchantiaceae.t — R. Douin points out that 

 the female capitulum and the male disc of the Marchantiaceae present 

 three methods of water-absorption more and more perfect in correspon- 

 dence with the apparatus employed by the plant. In the first case, the 

 water rises to the posterior cavity, and then spreads into the others by 

 means of laterarfascicles {Grimaldia, etc.). In the second case, quite a 

 special one {Fegatella), the capitulum is everywhere in contact with the 

 cylindric felt-work of absorbing hairs. In the third case (Marchantiaceae 

 with two-furrowed stalk), the water is distributed directly among the 

 cavities. 



Multicellular Spores in Mosses. :|: — T. Herzog describes two new 

 species of Cryphsea, C. macrospora, and C. gracillima, which are. 

 ■characterized by having very large and multicellular spores, a character 

 hitherto confined to Dicnemonacete. The ripe spores measure 44-48 /* 

 and 44-52 /x respectively. They are irregularly globular to shortly 

 cylindrical, and provided with clearly developed longitudinal and trans- 

 verse walls. Division does not take place until the spore has reached 

 its full size. In G. macrospora division is fairly regular and takes place 

 in quadrants ; in G. gracillima division is more irregular and takes place 

 in stages of four to eight cells. The tough exospore does not split 

 finally as in Dicnemonaceee, but remains preserved. The author con- 

 siders the Gryphsea spores as an intermediate form between the usual 

 spores and the highly specialized multicellular type of the Dicnemonaceae, 

 in which not only the division but also the germination of the giant 

 spores begins inside the capsule. The author also discusses the spores 

 of Macromitrium macrosporum, which measure as much as 70 /x, but are 

 always unicellular ; as well as the spores of his genus Wernerobryum, 

 •which is in various ways allied to the Dicnemonacege, and has spores 

 120 /i. long and about 60 /a broad, but unicellular. A note states that 

 Fleischer's Sphserotheciella sphaerocarpa, which has abnormally large 

 multicellular spores, was not known to the author when he wrote this 

 paper. 



* Notes Bot. School Trin. Coll. Dublin, ii. (1916) pp. 319-34. See also Bot. 

 Centralbl., cxxxii. (1916) p. 541. 



t Comptes Rendus, clvii. (1913) pp. 997-9. See also Bot. Centralbl., cxxxii, 

 (1916) p. 567. 



X Flora, cix. (1916) pp. 97-9. See also Bot. Ceutralb., cxxxiv. (1917) p. 87. 



