1904] CURRENT LITERATURE 477 
regions show a much larger number of chromosomes than those of the ordi- 
nary cells of the prothallium. The whole process is regarded as a d of 
irregular fertilization and the young plantlet as an homologously iitectaiinice 
embryo.—C, J. CHAMBERLAIN. 
A CYTOLOGICAL stuDyY* of malignant growths known as “ carcinomata” 
and ‘‘sarcomata”’ has shown nuclear details resembling those in normal 
Mele aa cells. The cells of the diseased tissue for a time resemble those 
of early stages in sporogenous tissue; then a va ying number of cells, 
AG behind the advancing edge of the diseased tissue, enlarge and under- 
go the heterotypic mitosis, showing the loops or rings characteristic of the 
heterotypic mitosis of normal reproductive cells, and in several cases the 
numbers were approximately halved. Subsequent divisions behind this zone 
ab homceotypic mitoses, but the reduced number of chromosomes is retained. 
This paper is a preliminary note and does not attempt to make a full appli- 
cation of the results.—C. J. CHAMBERLAIN. 
FARMER and Moore” are reinvestigating the reduction of chromosomes 
and believe they can reconcile such divergent views as those of Hicker and 
Brauer. They claim that observers, with the exception of Schaffner, have 
They believe that synapsis is a a8 specially intercalated in the reproduc- 
tive cycle, and that in it the number of chromosomes is reduced by their 
adhesion in pairs. The air erste division following synapsis is that char- 
acteristic of ordinary somatic division, the separation of the halves being 
deferred until the next mitosis. They believe that the heterotype division is 
different in kind from ordinary mitoses. The full paper, now in preparation, 
will give the evidence upon which their conclusions rest.—C. J. CHAMBERLAIN. 
THE VASCULAR SYSTEM of Péeris aguilina, though examined by every 
elementary student, has been very generally misunderstood. DeBary followed 
Hofmeister in considering the peripheral ring of strands to be cortical 
derived from both inner and outer strands of the rhizome. In a recent paper 
by Tansley and Lulham* the exact connection of the petiolar strands with 
18 FARMER, J. B., Moore, J. and WALKER, C. E., On the resemblances 
ee between the oot of erates iaoibe in man and ‘those of normal repro- 
ductive tissues. Proc. Roy. Soc. London 72: 499-504. 1903. 
*9 FARMER, J. B., and Moore, J. E. S., New investigations into the reduction 
phenomena of animals and plants. Proc. Roy. Soc. London 72: 104-108. figs. 6 
70 JEFFREY, E. C., The morphology of central cylinder in the angiosperms. 
Trans. aos Inst. 6: 1-40. pls. 7-77. 19 
** TANSLEY, A. G., and LULHAM, R. B., The vascular system of the rhizome and 
leaf-trace hee Pteris aquilina and Pteris incisa integrifolia. New Phytologist 3: 1-17. 
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