62 PHYSIOLOGY [BoT. Absts., Vol. VII, 



results from mechanical agitation." One experiment lacking in the second improvement is 

 reported. "The results show that the rate of carbohydrate consumption in Azotobacter 

 cultures does not proceed in a manner similar to the rate of increase in cell numbers pre- 

 dicted by Duclaux Indeed, the curves resemble the antipode of the Duclaux 



curve." The fact that the organism utilizes renewals of carbohydrates seems to contradict 

 the idea that there is an accumulation of metabolic products which are toxic to growth. 

 The production of such substances in very short intervals in cultures as slow-growing and 

 as dilute as those used in this experiment seems unlikely. — S. M. Zeller. 



408. Anonymous. The red coloring matter of plant galls. [Rev. of: M. Niekenstein. 

 Trans. Chem. Soc. 115: 1328-1332. 1919.] Nature 104:707. 1920.— Investigation of galls on 

 British oak trees caused by Dryophanta divisa resulted in isolation of a red pigment to which 

 the name of "dryophantin" was given. This was concluded to be a diglucoside of purpuro- 

 gallin (the first to be found in nature) and of pathological origin. The author is of the opinion 

 that the other so-called anthocyans obtained from plant galls are not properly anthocyans, 

 but are related to "dryophantin," and he proposes to classify these under the name "gallo- 

 rubrones." The reviewer considers the evidence insufficient clearly to establish the absence 

 of anthocyan pigments. — 0. A. Stevens. 



409. Anontmotjs. Scientific study of the sugar group. [Rev. of : Armstrong, E. Frank- 

 land. The simple carbohydrates and the glucosides. 3d ed. x + 239 p. Longmans, Green 

 and Co.: London, 1919.] Nature 104:526-527. 1920.— The chief import of the review is 

 brought out in the quotation which follows, to the effect that the book ' 'is something more than 



a new and revised issue; it is to all intents and purposes a new book Students 



of the sugar group will have access to a thoroughly satisfactory book." — 0. A. Stevens. 



410. BiBERFELD, JoHANNES. Ergcbnissc der experimentelien Toxikologie. Teil II. 

 Organische Substanzen. A. Alkaloide. [Experimental toxicology. Part II. Organic sub- 

 stances. A. Alkaloids.] Ergeb. der Physiol. 17: 1-362. 1919. 



411. CosTANTiN, J. Physiologie de I'anthocyane et chimie de la chlorophylle. [Physi- 

 ology of anthocyan and chemistry of chlorophyll.] Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. X. 1 : xxxviii-lii. 

 1919. — The author discusses the present status of the knowledge of anthocyan and chloro- 

 phyll. He refers to Combes' work in 1913 in which a treatment of a yellow flavone pigment 

 derived from Vitis with nascent hydrogen gave a substance said to have been anthocyan. 

 The author states that the reverse process of oxidation of anthocyan gave yellow flavone. 

 The work of Willstatter confirmed Combes' conclusions. Such work linked up with the 

 problems concerning glucosides and Combes' experiments with absorption of these in plants 

 is referred to. The author calls attention to the belief of some that anthocyan results from 

 an oxidation. This hypothesis is supported by the discovery that oxydase distribution paral- 

 lels anthocyan distribution. Palladin made anthocyan one of his respiration pigments. 

 Wheldalb's attempt to explain anthocyan production in Antirrhinum on a genetic basis is 

 "curieuse" to the author, but he deems it preferable to Bateson's assumption of deter- 

 minants. Nicolas in 1919 suggested a study of green and purple plants of the same species 

 in an attempt to re-solve contradictions in oxidation and reducing theories of anthocyan for- 

 mation. Nicolas found greater acidity in the red-leaved varieties and the formation of these 

 organic acids locked up some oxygen, reducing therefore the respiratory quotient. The 

 using up of oxygen therefore is not directly a result of anthocyan production. Chlorophyll 

 is thought now to have the formula: (C20H39OOC) [C3,H29N4Mg] (COOH) (COOCH3). 

 Treatment with alcohol will produce a substitution of C2H5 for phytol group C2oH39 and give 

 Willstatter's crystallizable chlorophyll. — James P. Kelly. 



412. Dangeard, p. a. La structure de la cellule vegetale et son metabolisme. [The 

 structure of the plant cell and its metabolism.] Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris 170: 709-714. 

 1920. 



