106 CYTOLOGY [BoT. Absts., Vol. IX, 



692. GtriLLiERMOND, A. Sur I'origine des vacuoles dans les cellules de quelques racines. 

 [The origin of the vacuole in the cells of some roots.] Compt. Rend. See. Biol. Paris 83: 411- 

 414. Fig. 1-10. 1920. — In living rootlets of barley observed in an isotonic sugar solution the 

 cells near the tip contain very numerous, elongated refractive filaments resembling chondrio- 

 conts that can be colored by intra vitam staining with Neutral Red or Nile Blue. In older 

 cells they contract and enlarge and eventually anastomose or fuse to become true vacuoles, 

 the staining becoming fainter as if the stainable substance v^ere becoming diluted. Fixation 

 and staining shows the chondriomes in the cells even where the vacuoles are already well 

 developed. In certain plants, such as gourd, root tips fixed and stained by Regaud's method 

 show true chondrioconts and mitochondria in addition to these vacuole-producing bodies. 

 The author doubts whether the latter really ought to be considered as of chondriosomal nature. 

 These, not the true chondriosomes, are the structures Dangeard has studied by intra-vitam 

 staining methods. — E. A. Bessey. 



693. Herrera, a. L. Artificial cells. Sci. Amer. Monthly 3: 221-222. Fig. 1-3. 1921. 

 [Translated from La Nature (Paris), July 31, 1920.] — An account is given of some experiments 

 seeking to imitate natural cells. Artificial cells thus produced exhibited all the morphologi- 

 cal characteristics of cell wall, cytoplasm, nucleus, and even mitotic division. — Chas. H. 

 Otis. 



694. Janssens, F. A. Observations sur les mouvements des flagelles de la Polytoma 

 uvella (Ehrenb.). [Observations on the movements of the flagella of Polytoma uvella.] Compt. 

 Rend. Soc. Biol. Paris 83 : 296-299. Fig. 1-1 4. 1920.— The 2 flagella pointing straight forward 

 make a sudden sweep of nearly 180°, making thus a sharp curve at the point of attachment. 

 This curve progresses up the flagellum so that the recurved portion becomes shorter and shorter 

 and the forward pointing portion longer until the original position is reached. — E. A. Bessey 



695. KiHARA, HiTOSHi. tJber cytologische Studien bei einige Getreide-Arten, Mitteilung 

 III. tJber die Schwankungen der Chromosomenzahl bei den Speciesbastarden Triticum- 

 Arten. [Cytological studies on some wheat species. III. Concerning the fluctuation of 

 the chromosome number in Triticum species hybrids.] Bot. Mag. Tokyo 35: 19-44. PI. 

 1. 1921. — The author described chromosome behavior in F2, F3, and F4 of crosses between 

 T. polonicum (x = 14) female and T. spelta (x = 21) male. He assumes that the Fi hybrid (2x 

 = 35), owing to the specificity of individual chromosomes, would form functional gametes 

 only when the gamete contains either a complete set of 21 spelta or 14 polonicum + i (isolated or 

 unpaired) spelta chromosomes. Fertilization of 14 + i gametes with one another gives poloni- 

 cuwi-like plants, in whose meioses the i (isolated or unpaired) chromosomes tend to lag behind 

 and be left out of the homeotypic nuclei. Succeeding generations tend to return to the polo- 

 nicum type with 28 chromosomes. Gametes with 21 spelta chromosomes may fuse with one 

 another or with 14 polonicum + i spelta and give rise to spelta-like plants. A thorough study 

 of the descendants of one F2 hybrid with 38 chromosomes (17 bivalents + 4 isolated) showed 

 plants with 38, 39, 40, and 41 chromosomes only. A plant in another series showed 42. This 

 38-chromosome plant formed gametes with 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 chromosomes. As shown 

 above, however, only such combinations were viable as arose when one gamete had a full 

 complement of 21 spelta chromosomes. Examination of the meiotic figures of these de- 

 scendants showed invariably 17 pairs + 4i (38), 18 pairs + 3i (39), 19 pairs + 2 t (40), 20 

 pairs + 1 i (41), or 22 pairs. No plants were found with 34, 35, 36, 37 or any chromosome 

 combinations other than those specified above. The paper is accompanied by unusual 

 photomicrographs of meiotic figures and contains a discussion of the probable application 

 of the author's conclusions to the facts uncovered in Oenothera by Gates, Stomps, Lutz, 

 Geerts, and others. — Leonas L. Burlingame. 



696. Ktlin, Harald. Bemerkungen iiber den Bau der Spermatozoiden der Fucaceen. 

 [Obsen'ations concerning the structure of the sperms of Fucaceae.] Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 

 38: 74-78. Fig. 1-2. 1920. — Retzius and Meyes' observations on the structure of Fucus 



