BIOLOGY. 309 



Microscopical Science" (for Oct. 18G8), Count Castracane express- 

 es the belief that these organisms reproduce by means of germs. 

 He describes what he considered as zoospores, having cilia and 

 containing diatoms. The young germs do not present the brown 

 endochrome, but are of a bluish-green color. 



Diatoms. — Mr. II. L. Smith has given a further proof of the 

 vegetable nature of diatoms by the application of the spectro- 

 scope. The results of more than 50 comparisons of spectra prove 

 the absolute identity of clilorophyl on the green endochrome of 

 plants with diatomin, or the olive yellow endochrome of the 

 diatomaceoe. — Amer. Journ. of Science, July, 1869. 



Reproductive organs of Lichens. — According to recent investi- 

 gations of Famitz'in and Boranetsky, not only algje and fungi, but 

 also lichens, are provided with zoospores. As these bodies liave 

 been found in very different genera of lichens, taken at random, 

 it is probable that they exist in all lichens furnished with chloro- 

 phyll. The identity of free gonidia with uni(!ellular algae they 

 consider as demonstrated ; and many described genera of the lat- 

 ter are in reality only the gonidia of lichens in a state of devel- 

 opment when sei^arated from the thalli which produced them. 



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