364 Bibliograplncal Notices. 



It was scarcely necessary to have Prof, de Bary's declaration of 

 belief that Fungi and Bacteria resemble other organisms in their 

 invariable origin from similar parents. The days of theories of the 

 " spontaneous generation " of such forms of life are surely num- 

 bered, and this great deep broken up. The present utterance has 

 been called forth by the recent reappearance in a new book of 

 Bechamp's theory of " Microzymas." To actually demonstrate the 

 absolute origination of a form of life has been the fascinating 

 aim of many an investigator possessed with the idea, as the al- 

 chemist was possessed in his time with a like one. With the 

 growth of investigation the field for such theories has been con- 

 tracted " step by step to narrower ground and to smaller and 

 smaller objects — from the simple unorganized substance to the organ- 

 ized minimum, the atome stracture vivant ; otherwise to that region 

 where one may still fish in troubled waters." As to what may 

 be caught therein there is nothing to be said, but perhaps much 

 to be doubted. 



The book is divided into three parts, the first dealing with the 

 Fungi proper, the second with the Mycetozoa, and the third with 

 the Bacteria or Schizomycctcs. The tirst part is subdivided into 

 sections, the first of these treating of the general morphology of 

 Fungi and containing tidmirable chapters on the histology, the 

 Begmentation of the thallus, and the development, structure, and 

 germination of spores. The second section of the first part deals 

 with the lile-histories of the groups of Fungi, and sets out with an 

 introductory chapter full of most significant and impressive elucida- 

 tion of the grounds on which classidcatiou is built. The vastness of 

 the array of facts and generalizations, retained with a firm and 

 comprehensive grasp, is almost forgotten in the lucidity with 

 which these are arranged and explained. The classification here 

 adopted is virtually that published by Prof, de Bary in 1881, and 

 then recognized as in full harmony with the state of mycological 

 science. He here divides the Fungi proper into two categories, 

 thus : — 



I. TJie Ascomycetes Series, 



1. Peronosporese (with Ancylisteae and Monoblepharis). 



2. Saprolegniese. 



3. Mucorini or Zygomycetes. 



4. Entomophthorese. 

 6. Ascomycetes. 



6. Urediueae. 



II. Groups diverging from the Ascomycetes Series or of doubtful 

 Position. 



7. Chytridiese. 



8. Protomyces and Ustilaginese. 



9. Doubtful Ascomycetes (Saccharomyces, &c.). 

 10. Basidiomycetes. 



