ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 337 



the action of ammonia (produced from nitrogenous matter by the life 

 and growth of the organisms), but the author considers this is not so, as 

 solutions of ammonia do not act on the fatty glycerides at the ordinary 

 temperature. 



Alcoholic Fermentation of Indian Fig-Must.* — Ulpiani and Sarcoli 

 studied the morphological and biological characters of the Saccharomyces 

 Opuntise, to the action of which the spontaneous fermentation of the 

 Indian ng-inu6t in Southern Italy is due. This yeast does not liquefy 

 gelatin or 6tarch paste, and is non-chromogenic. It ferments dextrose 

 and leviilose, but has no action on sucrose, maltose, lactose, iaffinose, 

 galactose, manitol, or dulcitol. 



Comparative experiments on the fermentation of must by S. Opuntise 

 and S. Pastorianus II. show a much greater yield of alcohol as the result 

 of the action of the latter, but if unsterilised must is inoculated with 

 the S. Pastorianus II, the growth and action of the yeast is quickly 

 checked by the rapid multiplication of the S. Opuntise already present. 



Puccinia.j — Franz Bubak gives the results of his investigations 

 on the systematic position of several closely allied forms of Puccinia. 

 The species described by Schweinitz and named by him P. Anemonis 

 Virginianse, is confined to North America ; it is a Leptopuccinia, pro- 

 ducing only teleutospores. Under P. De Baryana the author distin- 

 guishes four varieties which grow on various species of Pulsatilla in 

 Europe and North America. Teleutospores only are produced, but of 

 the Micropuccinia type. A form found on Anemone patens in North 

 America he names P. gigantispora ; it bolongs 'to Pueciniopsis. The 

 teleutospores somewhat resemble those of P. De Baryana, but the occur- 

 rence of aecidia differentiates it from that species. Outline drawings of 

 the teleutospores are given. 



Pure Cultures of a Uredine.J — Marshall Ward has been engaged 

 in a long series of infection experiments on Brome grasses with 

 the uredospores of Puccinia dispersa. This Uredine grows on the 

 d liferent species of Bromus and is, in all cases, morphologically the 

 same. It was found, however, that it was not always possible to infect 

 from one host to another; thus the spores of Bromus mollis would infect 

 B. mollis, B. sterilis, B. secalinus, and B. arvensis, but not B. inermis. 

 Spores taken from B. sterilis only infected B. secalinus and B. arvensis. 

 Every care was taken to obtain pure cultures of both hosts and parasite. 

 Seeds from rusted Bromes purified from external infection, developed 

 healthy plants, proving that no mycelium lurked in the embryo. Seeds 

 were treated antiseptically and grown in tubes successfully for weeks 

 on cotton-wool well charged with a mineral solution used in water cul- 

 tures. The plants that developed from these seeds were infected with 

 the uredospores, and an absolutely clean and pure culture of the Puccinia 

 was obtained. Further experiments were instituted to determine the 

 influence on the growth of the parasite of different mineral ingredients. 

 The results have not yet been decisive, though they indicate that if the 



* Gazettu, xxxi. (1901) 2, pp. 395-413. See alsu Journ. Ckeni. Soc, March 1902, 

 Abstr. ii. p. 164. 



t Sitzungsb. k. Bohm. Gesellsch. Wissensch., 1901 (1902) Botanika, pp. 1-11. 

 X Proc. Roy. iSoc, Ixix. (1902) pp. 451-60. 



