342 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



framework, the branches of which partially unite and apply themselves 

 to the wall of the nucleus. The wall of the nucleus also contracts, so 

 that the volume of the nucleus is reduced. But, after the entire frame- 

 work of the nucleus has fused into irregular anastomosing masses, 

 always closely attached to the wall of the nucleus, the nucleole remains 

 enclosed within it. In the last stages of chromatolysis, the whole 

 nucleus has shrunk into a strongly refringent erythrophilous mass r 

 which assumes a red, red-violet, or pink colour. 



(23 Other Cell-Contents (including Secretions). 



Violet Chromatophores in the Coffee.* — ^Herr A. Tschirch finds,, 

 in the pericarp of Coffea arabica, dark violet almost blue-black chroma- 

 tophores, both in the epiderm and in the hypodermal layer, along with a 

 red cell-sap. They are often needle-shaped or branched in an arbores- 

 cent manner. 



Chloroglobin.f — In investigating the question whether carotin and 

 chlorophyll are not the chromophorous constituents of a more compli- 

 cated substance, possibly of a proteid character, Dr. M. Tswett has suc- 

 ceeded in isolating a green compound closely allied to proteids in its 

 physico-chemical properties, to which he gives the name chloroglobin, 

 apparently a combination of carotin and chlorophyll. It is associated 

 with a colourless substance, possibly Pringsheim's hypochlorin. The 

 microchemical reactions of chloroglobin are given in detail. 



e Oxidising Ferments in Phanerogams.^ — In about 100 species of 

 flowering plants, belonging to 49 families, Sig. N. Passerini finds evi- 

 dence, from the guaiacum test, in all but about 20, of the presence of at 

 least a trace of an oxydase in some organ or other. The part in which 

 it is most constantly present is the root ; the reaction being generally 

 more intense than in the stem. It is often stronger in the bark than in 

 the pith. In the leaves oxydases are most commonly either entirely want- 

 ing or are present only in very small quantities, and are then generally 

 localised in the veins. In the flower, these ferments, when present, are 

 more abundant in the pistil than in the stamens ; in the latter they 

 occur chiefly in the filaments. In the fruit they are most abundant in 

 the pericarp ; in the seeds they disappear before maturity. In general 

 the reaction is strongest in those organs which change colour rapidly on 

 exposure to the air. In aquatic plants (JPosidonia, Fucus, TJlva) they 

 appear to be wanting. 



Formation of the Oil in the 01ive.§ — Sig. G. Spampani describes 

 the mode of the formation of the oil in the fruit of the olive. This takes 

 place in the cells of the epicarp, and especially in those of the mesocarp ; 

 the oil has not been transferred to the cells where it is ultimately found, 

 but has been actually formed in them. The presence of a small quan- 

 tity of an oily substance in active protoplasm is a universal phenomenon r 

 and in the oil of the olive we have only a very strongly marked illustra- 



* Schweiz. Wochenschr. f. Chemie ti. Pharmacie, xxxvi. (1898) No. 40. See Bot.. 

 Centralbl., lxxxi. (1900) p. 23. + Bot. Centralbl., lxxxi. (1900) pp. 81-7. 



% Nuov. Giurn. Bot. ItaL, vi. (1899) pp. 296-321. 

 § Bull. Soc. Bot. Ital., 1899, pp. 139-43. 



