ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICKOSCOPY. ETC. 61 



Researches on the Development and Nutrition of some Chloro- 

 phyceae. — H. Nakano (Journ. Coll. Sci. Imper. Univ. Tokyo, 1017, 40, 

 art. 2, 214 pp., 3 pis.). The author succeeded in isolating and cultivating- 

 three known species and two new species of Chlorophyceae, Ghlorosphaera 

 putrida and Chlamydomonas koishikanensis. He describes their develop- 

 ment and the physiology of their nutrition, their changes of form and: 

 colour, and their systematic position. Full details are given of all his. 

 experiments and results. E. S. G. 



A Wood-penetrating Alga, Gomontia lignicola sp. n. — G. T 

 Moore {Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 1918, *5, 211-24, 

 2 pis.) describes a new wood-penetrating Alga, Gomontia lignicola, found 

 on a yellow pine-board in a fresh-water pond near Wood's Hole, Massa- 

 chusetts, the study of which clears up several points in our knowledge 

 of the life-history of the genus. The plants consist of a typically un- 

 branched cylindrical filament in which a striking appearance is produced 

 by its having most of the chlorophyll concentrated in the terminal cell,, 

 the remaining cells being so devoid of colour as to give the appearance of 

 a fungous hypha. Sporangia are formed both in the tissue of the wood 

 and on the surface, and are extremely irregular in outhne. The contents- 

 break up simultaneously into zoospores which escape through a small 

 hole in the tip of one or more of the branch-like projections from the 

 main body of the sporangium. Previous authors have given the number 

 of cilia for the zoospores of Gomontia as two or four, but those of G. 

 lignicola have but two cilia. There was no marked difference in size 

 between the zoospores, which were produced in large numbers and 

 function as true zoospores, and it is highly improbable that gametes 

 occur. Pi-of. Moore finds no foundation for the idea that simply 

 because biciliate and quadriciliate spores have been recorded for the- 

 genus those with two cilia are gametes. The spores may germinate 

 directly to produce a vegetative filament, or form resting spores which 

 have hitherto been regarded as akinetes or aplanospores. The resting- 

 spores are extremely irregular in ultimate size and shape, brilliantly 

 green and full of starch ; a single pyrenoid is visible in the young cells, 

 and there is one nucleus. After reaching maturity the spore may rest 

 for months or even years. Germination may occur at any point, and 

 usually germ-tubes push out at more than one place on the surface. The 

 author concludes that the aplanospores or akinetes described by previous 

 workers in other species of the genus are merely resting spores developed 

 from a zoospore. A. B. R. 



Notes on a Carpenteria-Limestone from B. N. Borneo. — H. Yabe 

 {Science Reports, Tohoku Imper. Univ. Sendai, Japan, Second Series. 

 (Geology), 1918, 5, No. 1, 15-30, 3 pi.). A description of the fossil 

 animals and plants in a Foraminiferal limestone of Tertiary age. Litho- 

 thamnium horneense, a species new to science, is described ; and the: 

 structure of it and of L. ramosissimitm is represented in photographs. 



A. G. 



Age of Pterygophora californica. — T. C. Frye {Pub. Puget Sound 

 Biol Sta., 1918, 2, No. 35, 65-71). The author discusses the evidence 



