322 



CURRENT LITERATURE. 



Algae 



Hodgctis, William, J. A New Species of Spirogyra. Ann. Bot. 

 Vol. XXXIV, 1020, 519—524. 



The author gives a description of Spirogyra colligata, a new species 

 from Worcestershire. The Alga presents many interesting features the most 

 remarkable of which is the curious H shaped clamp connections between 

 every pair of contiguous cells of the filament. A. detailed description of 

 these clamp'connections is given. The author thinks that these clamp con- 

 nections are probably helpful in keeping the cells of the filament from 

 breaking up into individual cells through excessive turgor pressure. 



Certain individual cells of the filament show curious coiling which the 

 author thinks may be useful in grappling the filaments together and thus 

 aiding scalariform conjugation. 



Three methods of conjugation were observed, (1) scalariform, (2) lateral 

 and (3) terminal. Terminal conjugation, like lateral conjugation, takes place 

 between two adjacent cells of a filament, but is brought about by the grow- 

 ing out of one extremity of the cell through the cross wall. 



This terminal conjugation and the H shaped clamp connections are 



unique features and, according to the author, have not been observed in any 



other recorded species of Spirogyra. On account of the presence of these 



curious clamp connections and the variety of the modes of conjugation, the 



author considers the species to be the most highly evolved, if not the highest, 



of all the known species of Spirogyra. 



M.O.P. 



Physiology 



Hill Leonard, M.B..F.R.S. The Growth of Seedlings in Wind. 

 Boy. Soc. Proc. B. Vol. 02, p. 28. 



The author conducted soma experiments to study the effect of wind on 

 the germination and growth of seedlings. Mustard and cress seeds were 

 grown on lamp wicks which were kept moist by their ends dipping in a basin 

 of water. The seedlings were subjected to continuous wind from a blower 

 fan which was running day and night with smoothness without stoppage 

 during the whole course of the experiment which lasted many weeks. Seeds 

 were also grown in still air as controls. The following results were recorded 

 by the author. The drying of the upper surface of the seeds, even though 

 the lower surface may be wet, was sufficient to stop the growth. Seeds which 

 were grown in the wind were soon bent and twisted close to the wick very 

 nearly horizontally. The wind exposed seedlings showed less growth in 

 length, had more solids, less water, more ash, less protein and presumably 



