ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 439 



Lichens of the Linnean Herbarium.* — R. Heber Howe has recently- 

 examined the specimens of Lichens preserved in Linnaus's herbarium at 

 Burlington House, more especially those belonging to the family Usne- 

 acese. He describes the method in which the plants are descril)ed by 

 Linnffius and others. Many of them are authentic types, others are 

 doubtful. 



Mycetozoa. 



(By A. LoRRAiN Smith, F.L.S.) 



Myxomycetes of Holstein.f — H. Ronn publishes his observations 

 on the occurrence and growth of Mycetozoa, their relation to the sub- 

 stratum, and their development. He discusses the ecological-biological 

 factors of their development, as well as their appearance in different 

 plant-formations. The plant-communities in which they grow are de- 

 scribed. He distinguishes three groups : those that grow on wood ; on 

 decaying parts of herbaceous plants ; and those on humus, etc. The 

 author records many new species from Holstein, and points out the 

 similarity of the Myxomycete flora with that of England. 



Spore-formation in Lycogala exiguum.f — H. S. Conard found that 

 the process of spore-formation in this Mycetozoon, including the forma- 

 tion of pseudospores, did not differ materially from that in Fuliyo, as 

 descril)ed by Harper. The last divisions in Lycogala may occur either 

 at the centre or at the periphery. In Fuligo they take place at the 

 periphery. 



Schizophyta. 

 Schizomycetes. 



Bacterium metatyphi.§ — M. Mandelbaum gives this name to an 

 organism isolated from certain cases of enteric, which differs from 

 Bacillus typhosus in that it produces alkali in the presence of glycerin, 

 and therefore forms red colonies upon rosolic-acid-glycerin-agar plates, 

 in contrast to the yellow colonies formed by the true typhoid bacillus. 

 The author suggests that this is a variation of B. typhosus. It does not 

 possess a lower degree of virulence. Investigation might reveal its more 

 frequent presence in the fgeces of typhoid carriers. 



Studies upon Bacterial Nuclei. |1 — In this preliminary communica- 

 tion S. R. Douglas and A. Distaso describe certain appearances, suggestive 

 of the existence of a nucleus, presented by a bacterium isolated from the 

 sputum in cases of pulmonary disease and in inflammation of the accessory 

 nasal sinus. The organism was Gram-negative ; cultivation upon blood- 

 agar was successful. Prolonged staining with dilute Giemsa revealed the 



* Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, xxxix. (1912) pp. 199-203 (1 pi.). 



t Scbrift. Naturw. Ver. Sclileswig-Holstein, xv. 1 (1911). See also Bot. Cen- 

 tralbl., cxix. (1912) 380-1. 



X Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci., xvii. (1910) pp. 83-4. See also Bot. Centralbl., cxix. 

 (1912) p. 527. 



§ Centralbl. Bakt., Ite Abt. Orig., Ixiii. (1912) pp. 46-53. 

 Centralbl. Bakt., Ite Abt. Orig., Ixiii. (1912) pp. 1-7. 



