i6o Transactions British Mycological Society. 



Chloyosplenium aeruginosmn gives a light yellow-green solution 

 with a very slight green fluorescence. The pink or red Russulas 

 on the other hand usually give red or yellowish solutions with 

 a brilliant blue fluorescence. The yellow or greenish Russulas 

 give yellow solutions with a green or green-blue fluorescence. 

 Rostrup has described the greenish fluorescence of the yellow 

 alcoholic solutions of Plcurotus serotinus*. A. Ling has observed 

 a greenish fluorescence in beer due to a Torula^. A. Kl^^cker 

 has found that under certain conditions Aspergillus glauciis 

 gives a faint green fluorescing pigment to wort in which it is 

 grown. This is soluble in ether and then gives a blue 

 fluorescence. If the ether is evaporated to dryness a yellow 

 residue remains, easily soluble in water to a slightly fluorescent 

 solution|. 



The green fluorescence due to certain bacteria has long been 

 known. Thus Bacillus fluorescens liqiiefaciens , which is very 

 widely distributed, especially in soil and polluted water, shows 

 in ordinary bouillon culture a beautiful green fluorescence §. 

 Several other green fluorescent bacteria have been described. 

 According to Thumm|| all fluorescing bacteria, when cultivated 

 in alkaline media, produce first a blue fluorescence which 

 afterwards becomes green. 



It is of considerable interest to note that in all bacteria, and 

 in all except very few Fungi, the fluorescence should be in the 

 more refrangible, green or blue, part of the spectrum, whereas 

 in chlorophyll solutions, and in solutions of carotin and xantho- 

 phyll, the fluorescence is in the red or less refrangible part of 

 the spectrum. In a few Fungi which I have examined the 

 fluorescence is slightly red, and in Tubaria inqiiilina red violet. 

 This may be due to the presence of a carotinoid colouring matter. 

 The colouring matters of the Fungi usually occur in the cell 

 membrane, and it is to these that the green or blue fluorescence 

 is due, but the yellow and dark orange or red colours of m.any 

 Fungi, Pilobolus, spores of Chytridineae, many Pezizas and 

 Uredineae, Sphaeroholus, Stereum, etc., are associated with 

 fatty bodies contained in the cells. They give a blue or green 

 reaction with strong sulphuric acid or iodine, and are probably 

 of the nature of carotin and xanthophyll. The yellow and 

 red colouring matters of Hygrophorus, Clavaria and Amanita 

 miiscaria are not of this type. They are contained in the 

 cell membranes, and give a green fluorescence. The spore 



* Mykologiske Meddelelser, Bot. Tidskr. 1889. 



t Jour. Inst, of Brewing, 1915. 



I C. R. des travaux du Laboratoire de Carlsberg, 1917. 

 § See Ellis, Outlines of Bacteriology, igog. 



II See Centrbl. f. Bakt. 2nd Abt. i8g5. 



