164 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Bryological Notes.* — H. X. Dixon publishes a fourth chapter of 

 Miscellanea Bryologica, giving critical remarks on : 1. Some Australasiau 

 species of Breutelia. Owingto the inconstancy of bhe structures alleged 

 to be characteristic of the following species, l>. comosa Mitt., B. divarkata 

 Mitt., ami B . consimilis Eook.f.el Wils. ; these species must be reduced 

 to synonyms of B. pendula Hook. Also B. fusco-aure'a Broth, may 

 prove to be synonymous with B. Sieberi Eornsch., a species very rare in 

 New Zealand. 2. Two South African species of Microthamnium 

 M. cavifolium and M. cygnicollum are described for the first time. 

 Previously they were known only by name, and were stated to be one 

 and the same species. :;. Neckera Hoehnelii and N. Hoehneliana, both 

 East African mosses, described in the same paper, but in different sections 

 of the genus. The second is a true Ned-era ; the first, a Galypto- 

 thecium, is the Renauldia Hoehnelii of Brotherus, and, as Dixon shows. 

 has as synonyms Trachyloma africanum Rehm. and Galyptothecium 

 afrkanum Mitt. 



Thallophyta. 



Algae. 

 (By Mrs. E. S. Gepp.) 



Morphological Obervations on Volvocacese.t. — P. Desroche publishes 

 some observations on the Volvocacea^. In the genera of Volvocacese, 

 which have two cilia, the red spot always, appears on the apparent 

 circumference of the individual and in the plane of the cilia. Double 

 individuals are often seen in cultures, in conditions defined by the 

 author. In them also the red spot lies in the plane of the cilia. Is this 

 red spot an ocular point ? Ehrenberg, and, more recently, Janet, admit 

 the view. Possibly it is connected with the motor apparatus. The 

 relation of the position between the cilia and the red spot is an 

 argument in favour of this hypothesis. The author has made a special 

 study of Chlamydomonas de Baryana Gorosch. 



Reproduction of Peridinium Westii.J — J. Virieux describes the 

 reproduction of a limnetic Peridinium, P. Westii Lemm. The species. 

 which is abundant in the Jura Lakes, shows a curious mode of sporula- 

 tion. The multiplication takes place in summer ; the protoplasm con- 

 tracts and becomes isolated from the envelope, producing at the same 

 time a quantity of mucilage. This swells up and forces asunder the parts 

 of the valves. Cellular division has preceded this, resulting in 1-4 

 daughter-cells. In the superficial waters of the lakes, mucilaginous 

 masses are found floating passively about for some time, and resembling 



.* Journ. Bot., liii. (1915) pp. 16-23. 



t Assoc. Franc, pour l'avanc. Sci., Session de Tunis, 1913 (1914) pp. 307-12 

 (3 text figs.). See also Bot. Centralbl., exxvi. (1914) p. 410. 



\ C.R. Seanc. Soc. Biol., lxxvi. (1914) pp. 534-6 (figs.). See also Bot. Centralbl., 

 exxxi. (1914) p. 154. 



