620 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Cytology of the Hymenomycetes.* — A series of observations on 

 several species of Hymenomycetes has led M. R. Maire to conclusions 

 in some respects different from those of Wager. The cells of the young 

 carpophore contain normally two nuclei ; these conjugate in the same 

 manner as in the Uredineas ; each of the conjugated nuclei possesses 

 four chromosomes. The young basid possesses normally two nuclei. 

 The prophase, metaphase, and anaphase stages of mitotic division are 

 described in detail. In the formation of the basidiospores there arises 

 in the cytoplasm of the basid a kinoplasmic differentiation characterised 

 by the production of longitudinal filaments. The apices of the sterigmas 

 swell up into spores, into which the centrosomes pass. All the cytoplasm 

 of the basid passes into the spores. The mitosis of the spore presents 

 the same features as that of the basids ; each daughter-nucleus receives 

 four chromosomes. The mitotic figures resemble those of the Uredinese ; 

 at the prophase stage they have four chromosomes. The conids have 

 only a single nucleus, the chromatin of which is concentrated into a 

 nucleole. 



Rabenhorst's Cryptogamic Flora of Germany (Fungi ImperfectD.f 

 Herr A. Allescher's last three parts of this important work include the 

 completion of the Hyalodidymaa with the genera Tiarospora (1 sp.), 

 Actinonema (8 sp.), Cystotricha (2 sp.), Bhynchoplioma (3 sp.), and Cyto- 

 diplospora (8 sp.). The third section of the Sphasrioideae, the Scoleco- 

 spoiae, are distinguished as having the spores rod-shaped, filiform, or 

 elongated-fusiform, unicellular or septate, hyaline or greenish-yellow; 

 and comprise 14 genera: Septoria, Bhabdospora, Collonema, Trichoseptoria, 

 Phleospora, Phlyctsena, Sphserographium, Cornularia, Eriospora, Dilopho- 

 spora, Septoriella, Cytosporina, Micula, and Micropera. The greater part 

 of these three parts is taken up by the huge genus Septoria, of which 

 no less than 494 species are described, besides a few doubtful ones. 

 Bhabdospora is then commenced, and 35 species described. 



Protophyta. 

 j3. Schizomycetes. 



Reducing Power of Bacteria.! — Herr A. Wolff mentions in a 

 preliminary communication the principal results of experiments bearing 

 on the reducing power of bacteria. The anaerobes, especially malignant 

 oedema, possess very great reducing power ; coli and typhoid bacilli 

 are strongly reducing ; while anthrax and cholera bacilli are but faintly 

 reducing, and tubercle-bacilli not at all. 



Unnucleated Bacteria.§ — Herr G. Marpmann remarks that bacteria 

 are of different degrees of complexity of structure, some exhibiting a 

 sheath with processes and internal contents, which latter have been re- 

 garded as cytoplasm and nucleus or as wholly nuclear. It seems, how- 

 ever, very probable that some bacteria cells are devoid of nucleus and 

 exist as cytodes. The difficulty of staining the cells properly is the 

 real crux. In the course of his reniarks the author recommends Erika 



* Comptes Rendus, cxxxi. (1900) pp. 121-4. Cf. this Journal, ante, p. 231. 



t Lief. 70-72 (1900). Cf. this Journal, ante, p. 236. 



t Centralbl. Bakt. u. Par., l te Abt., xxvii. (1900) pp. 849-52. 



§ Zeitschr. f. angew. Mikr., vi. (1900) pp. 101-3. 



