58 THE MICROSCOPICAL NEWS. 
read E or even higher ocular. Will readers kindly make this cor- 
rection in the margin ? f 
CELL Division.—Some very interesting information on this sub- 
ject is due to Prof. Strasburger. He recommends the hairs in the 
filaments of Zradescavitia Virginica or TF. elata for studying the 
various phenomena, as, among other advantages, the hairs retain 
their vitality for as long as twelve hours in a one per cent. solution of 
cane sugar. The division generally takes place in the terminal cell 
of the hair, or in the cell next to it. The nucleus, about 0.018 
m.m. in diameter, has the appearance of a reticulated structure, 
sometimes, though very rarely, containing large granules resembling 
nucleoli in form. When about to divide the nucleus increases in 
size, especially in length, and then protoplasm begins to collect at 
both its poles. The body now becomes coarsely granular, and the 
granules gradually collect into lines permeating the nucleus more 
or less obliquely and with somewhat of an S-like curvature, All 
this has occupied from three to four hours. Next, these lines 
begin to disappear, and after one or two other changes in its 
appearance, the nucleus takes the form of a barrel which shortly 
separates into two halves, the rupture occurring at the equator. A 
colourless hyaline substance may be noticed between the two 
halves, which, when treated with absolute alcohol or one per cent. 
chromic acid, shews very beautiful striations. | Soon, a number of 
dark granules, which were about the equator of the barrel, coalesce 
and form a pellicle constituting the new cellulose wall. In three 
quarters of an hour from their separation, the two new nuclei have 
assumed their permanent character. To observe these phenomena 
a drop of one per cent. solution of sugar is placed on the cover 
glass, in which, when spread out, the freshly gathered stamen is 
immersed. ‘The cover-glass is then turned over and placed with 
its edges on a papier-maché frame. 
THE VINEGAR PLANT, AND SIMILAR FuNGI.—JZycoderma acett, 
the vinegar plant, has been observed by Schnetzler. to undergo a 
curious development in white wine—whether exposed to the air or 
otherwise. A number of cup-shaped masses were produced, which, 
falling in succession to the bottom of the bottle, formed a cylinder 
four inches in length. Each cup in falling left behind it a train of 
bacterial matter, enveloped by gelatinous material agreeing in 
chemical characters with the cellulose of most Fungi. As this 
MMycoderma absorbs tannin in quantity, it is probable that the colour 
of the vinegar is due to the presence of this body, derived from 
wine in the presence of an iron salt. JZycoderma vini, the fungus 
produced in wine in presence of air, is composed of cells from 2p 
to 3m in diameter, reproduced by gemmation, and sometimes by 
Oe 
