Physiologie. 213 



cell and the photo-sensitive plate and assumes a real basis for the 

 approximation of the processes, in the photostimulation of the sen- 

 sitive Salt and the effects of x rays on the molecular Systems exis- 

 ting in the cell. The Cancer cell is thus regarded as the seat ot" 

 excessive ionisation, this however not negativing the possibility 

 that the origin of, or predisposition towards, abnormal ionic acti- 

 vity may be founded in biological causes. 



Wm. B. Brierley (Kew). 



Jones, D. H., A Morphological and Culfural Study of 

 some Asotohacter. (Proc. Trans. Roy. Soc. Canada. 3. VII. p. 

 43—55. 1914.) 



Four strains of Asotohacter derived from kitchen garden-soils 

 were isolated and their cultural reactions described. The morpho- 

 logj'^ of the organism in each variety varies very considerable with 

 age and cultural conditions and occasionally a spherical body — 

 possibly nuclear — is present which usually divides, simultaneously 

 and in the same plane, with cell fission. In three of the varieties 

 capsule formation, is present. Flagella are peritrichic and of two 

 types, the one long and delicate and apparently related to cell 

 disintegration, the other short and more permanent in character. 

 The Asotohacter pigment is apparently produced only when there 

 is lack of suitable available nutriment on cessation of multiplication, 

 and when the culture is aerated. Thorough aeration is essential to 

 growth. and the thermal death point is between 55—60%. Themost 

 successful staining reactions were obtained with saturated alcoholic 

 Solutions of Gentian Violet or Rosanilin Violet, Heisser's Blue, and 

 Babe's Safranin. The author considers that the irregulär packets 

 and sarcinae forms found in mature cultures result from simple 

 lission of the cell and are not derived from spores as described by 

 Prazmowski. In N". 2 strain the suppossed nuclear body may 

 split up and it is considered possible that the granules may act 

 somewhat as gonidia spores and develop after disintegration of the 

 parent cell. If no disintegration occurs these may appear as the 

 endospores of Prazmowski. The organisms were found to be fairly 

 resistant to dessication but no exact measurements were made. 



The work is well illustrated by forty six photomicographs. 



Wm. B. Brierly (Kew). 



Stiles, W. and I. Jorgensen. The antagonism between 

 ions in the absorption of salts by plants. (New Phytol. 

 XIII. p. 253—267. 1914.) 



The author presents a careful summary and discussion of the 

 work that has been done hitherto on antagonistic ion action, or the 

 mutual hindrance to absorption produced by ions with a Charge of 

 the same sign, and the value of their summarj'' is enhanced by the 

 inclusion of an extensive bibliography of the subject. They point 

 out that this antagonism is apparently a phenomenon of widespread 

 occurrence in organic life; that antagonism appears to be limited 

 to kations, not merely however to those generali}^ regarded as 

 having a nutritive value or at any rate those present in plants but 

 also exists between unnecessary or poisonous anions like aluminium 

 and copper and even between metals and alkaloid bases; and that 

 the cases of antagonism observed appear to show that the effect is 



