ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 77 



and studied from the zygospore standpoint. He describes in detail the 

 culture media, the temperature at which the experiments were made, and 

 the development of the moulds. In several of them zygospores were 

 formed, homothallic or heterothallic. In others he failed to secure any 

 zygospore formation. 



Study of Mortierellae.* — J. Dauphin has written a monograph of 

 the group, and reduces the species to twenty-seven. M. p)olycephala 

 received special attention, and the formation of zygospores was followed 

 in that species. The more air supplied the better for the growth of the 

 fungus. Under zero and above 35° C. there is no growth ; at 45° C. the 

 spores are killed. Darkness retards growth, and there is no germination 

 in a dry atmosphere. Experiments were also made with light and with 

 x-rays, etc. Almost all of the species are figured. 



Danish Phycomycetes. j-— H. E. Petersen publishes a translation of 

 a paper by him which originally appeared in the Botaniska Tidsskrift. 

 It is divided into three parts. The first treats of the systematic position 

 of the Phycomycetes ; the second discusses the biology and ecology of 

 the group ; the third and last part contains a list with diagnoses of the 

 species found by the writer, a number of genera and species being new 

 to science. 



The first part deals mainly with the Chytridinese. Petersen looks 

 on them not as Archimycetes but as reducUl forms ; he divides them 

 into two groups : that of the Synchytrium where the zoospore on 

 germination forms a sorus, and a second group where no sorus is formed, 

 as in Olpidium, Lagenidium, and Rhizidium. These groups and genera 

 with their inter-relationships are thoroughly discussed. 



Submerged Phycomycetes occur as saprophytes on dead animals 

 (fishes, frogs, etc.), or on dead parts of plants (branches, leaves and 

 fruits of land plants), or they grow parasitically on fishes, frog's-eggs, 

 etc. ; a certain number grow on plankton-Crustaceans. The Chytri- 

 dinege are parasites on algse, in the hyphse of other Phycomycetes, in 

 the eggs of Rotatoria, etc., and in eel -worms ; there are also a few 

 saprophytes, some of them growing in the pollen-grains of spruce and 

 fir, which are blown into water in great quantities. 



Full descriptions are given of the families, genera and species of the 

 different groups, with many illustrations in the text ; a complete biblio- 

 graphy is appended. 



Development of Monascus.J — W. Schikorra has examined two 

 species of Monascus : M. purpureus, and a second form received from 

 Lindner which he calls Mcrnascus x. He describes the methods of 

 examination employed by him, and reviews the work and results of 

 previous students. Finally he sums up his conclusions as follows : — In 

 both species of Monascus examined by him there is little morphological 

 difference. The development of the perithecium proceeds from a multi- 

 nucleate ascogonium, which by means of the trichogyne is in open rela- 

 tionship with the multinucleate antheridium. The male nuclei pass over, 



* Ann. Sci. Nat. se'r. 9 (1908), pp. 1-112 (45 figs.). See also Zeitschr. Bot., i. 

 (1909) p. 545. t Ann. Mycol., viii. (1910) pp. 489-560 (27 figs.). 



X Zeitschr. Bot. i. (1909) pp. 379-410 (1 pi.). 



