250 SOME REMARKS ON THE PUCCINIiE. 



like little spots of pitch." Exactly so. Let us look now to Mr. 

 Plowright's " British Uredineae and Ustilaginese," a book which is 

 a credit to its author, and especially so because he is a true 

 Woolhopean : — at page 144, speaking of the biologies of Piic. 

 Galiij which includes Fuc. difformis as a synonym, it says, " The 

 presence of the mycelium in the stems, especially in G. aparine^ 

 causes swellings and distortions." Yes, indeed, they are consider- 

 able. If we examine them they are very considerable. They are 

 black and split up the cuticle into fragments. Unless there be 

 further proof of the identity of Puc. difformis with Puc. Galii, such 

 as the positive growth of the latter from the spores of the former, 

 I cannot think they are the same plant. Besides, not only is the 

 external aspect of the two so very dissimilar, but the shape of the 

 spores, especially at the summit, is not alike. I fancy a little 

 more critical examination of these two species will cause each to 

 have its own name, and therefore that the one is not a synonym 

 of the other. 



The Influenza Bacillus. — We learn from the Vaily Tele- 

 graph that Dr. JoUes and Professor Weichselbaum, of Vienna, 

 have succeeded in discovering the Influenza Bacillus, after a series 

 of experiments in the Chemical and Physiological Laboratory of the 

 University. The germ is very similar to the Pneumonia Bacillus, 

 although clearly distinguishable from it. 



Mounting Medium for Vegetable Structures. — Mr. 

 Quinn, of the Manchester Microscopical Society, says that the 

 sodium fluosilicate, sold as a disinfectant under the trade name 

 of "Salufer," is an excellent mounting medium for plant structures, 

 preserving the green colouring matter very perfectly, and causing 

 but little change in the shape of the cells. The latter quality is 

 due to the very slight solubility of the fluosilicate in water. 



