ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 393 



of sporangia of the type found in modern Phycomycetes. Bodies of the 

 nature of Oidium-celh are also described, and tlie Saprolegniacete are 

 indicated as being the nearest allies among modern fungi. A. W. S, 



Myxomycetozoa. 



New Mycetozoa.— C. Meylan {Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Set. Nat, 52, 

 1918, No. 194, 95) describes two new Mycetozoa from, cold altitudes. 

 1. Laniproderma crucheti, differing from L. rohmihimim hy the colour 

 of the Plasmodium and sporangia and spores, and the form of the 

 sporangia and length of the pedicel. 2. Stemonitis hyperopia. A new 

 name suggested for the variety heterospora of ('omatricha typhoides. 

 The author discusses the affinity of the organism with G. Lister's 

 Comatricha dictyospora (Cel.). Again, the features upon which the 

 author relies would appear to be the possible result of climatic condi- 

 tions, and it appears to us that judgment should be reserved until these 

 new forms have been cultivated under normal conditions of temperature 

 and environment. E. H.-A. 



Mycetozoa from the Jura Mountains. — C. Meylan {Bull. Soc. 

 Vaudoise Set. Nat., 51, No. 191, 1916-17, 259) describes Mycetozoa 

 from high altitudes (900 to IGOO mm.) in the Jura Mountains, of which 

 Badhamia lilacina and Comatricha elegans are new to the district. The 

 author does not, however, lose sight of the world-wide distribution of 

 most of the recorded Mycetozoa. The feature of the paper is the 

 revision of the genus and species Lamproderma inolaceum. He proposes, 

 for reasons which he sets out at length, to raise the variety sauteri (Rost) 

 to specific rank, the variety carestiae becoming a variety of L. sauteri. 

 He discusses the distinction between the latter species and L. cribrari- 

 ■ oides (Fr.). 



It is a question whether the distinction is a sound one, and we 

 should be inclined to think that the author's revision is little more than 

 taxonomic, regard being had to the altitudes and conditions of frigidity, 

 which must have a specific influence on the development of the sporangia. 

 The author gives a complete synopsis of the group. A new variety, 

 cameo -griseum, of the species Enerthenema papillatum (Pers.) is described ; 

 the only difference between the variety and the type is in the rose-grey 

 • colour of the sporangia. It would appear to bean autonomous variation 

 ■resulting from the conditions of altitude and temperature. E. H.-A. 



Schiz op hy ta. 

 Schizomycetes. 



Botulism. — DoEENDORF {Deutsche med. Wehnschr., 1917, 46,1531-4, 

 1554-G). Poisoning, due to toxin produced in raw ham, sausages, meat, 

 .fish, by Bacillus botulifius is comparatively rare, but during three months 

 Dorendorf studied six cases. Examination after death shows widespread 

 ■hypergemia, especially of the meninges, lungs, liver and kidneys, 

 JVIicroscopically the ganglion-cells show disappearance of Nissl's granules. 



