162 Biologie. — Morphologie, etc. — Physiologie. 



mistletoe. Special strain is laid upon its use in medicine in former 

 times. , Ove Paulsen. 



Sarqent, O. H., Fragments of the Flow er Biolosf}' oi 

 Westaustralian Plants. (Ann, Bot. XXXII. p. 215— 23lT 1916.; 



This paper contains detailed observations on the pollination of 

 a large number of plants in Western Australia. The author 

 regards birds as the most important agents of pollination in this 

 region. The outstanding characteristic of bird-pollinated blossoms 

 is the rigidity of the parts. Ornithophilous flowers belonging to the 

 following genera are described: Niiytsia, Loranthus, Xanthorrhoea, 

 Acacia, Eucalyptus, Beaufortia, Astroloma, Anigosanthus , Blancoa, 

 Templetonia, Crotalaria, Clianthus, Kennedya, Adenanthos (and a 

 number of other Proteaceae). 



A number of interesting observations on insect-pollinated flo- 

 wers are also included. 



The author discusses the frequent occurrence of many small 

 flowers gathered together into an inflorescence resembling a Single 

 large flower. He concludes that the advantage gained does not lie 

 in economy of tissue or reduction of transpiration surface, but 

 rather in the more efficient distribution of stigmatic surface in 

 relation to the anther surface. Agnes Arber (Cambridge). 



Rivett, M. F., The Structure of the Cytoplasm in the 

 Cells of Alicularia scalaris, Cord. (x\nn. Bot. XXXII. p. 207 — 

 214. 1 pl. 3 text tigs. 1918.) 



Many Hepaticae develop oil-bodies in their tissues: in the foliose 

 liverwort Alicularia scalaris they are particularly conspicuous. They 

 have been frequentlj'- investigated, but as the published results 

 contain various eontradictory Statements, the present research was 

 undertaken in order to try and throw fresh light on the subject. 



In young stages the oil is found as scattered drops in the 

 cytoplasm. These ultimately coalesce into a few large oil bodies. 

 The author concludes that the oil bodies are merely vacuoles and 

 that no special elaioplast exists. 



Certain observations were made upon the cytoplasmic structure 

 of leaf-cells. It was found that the actively dividing cells showed a 

 chondriome structure, while the maturing cells have a vacuohir 

 protoplasm forming a 'spongy network'. 



Agnes Arber (Cambridge). 



Agulhon, H., Etudes sur la ricine. V. Sur le sort de la 



Ricine (Toxine etagglutinine) pendantlagermination 



des graines de Ricin. (Ann. Inst. Pasteur. XXIX. p. 237—248. 



1915.) 



L'ensemble du travail permet ä l'auteur de poser les conclu- 



sions suivantes. 



La ricine toxine disparait lentement dans la germination des 

 graines de ricin; eile reste objectivement localisee dans l'albumen; on 

 n'en trouve que tres peu dans la plantule; sa disparition coincide 

 avec le fl^trissement de l'albumen. 



II en est de meme de la ricine agglutinine; cette derniere 

 semble disparaitre proportionnellement plus vite que la toxine. 



