March 22, 1877] 



NATURE 



459 



which it is parasitic will be well known to microscopists as a 

 group of flagellate Infusoria, at one time found as freely-swim- 

 mirg forms, and at another passing into a resting stage. It is at 

 this period of their existence that the Polyphagus attacks them. 

 The minute spores are furnished with four or more delicate fila- 

 ment?, which project from the body of the spores like rays. One 

 or more of these soon comes into contact with a Euglena, 

 bores through its integument, and penetrates into its proto- 

 plasmic contents ; it now becomes a haustorium, increases in 

 size, often sends off other filaments, which go on the search for 

 other specimens of Euglense ; in the meanwhile the body of the 

 spore grows apace, and, if its haustoria be only fairly successful 

 in catching Euglence, soon increases to considerable (microscopi- 

 cal) dimensions, and in course develops into a pro-sporangium. 

 Next a little bladder-like projection is seen slowly forcing its 

 way out from this latter, and at last becomes developed into a 

 zoosporangium, from which in time issue the cloud of zoospores, 

 and so after a well-known fashion the vegetative development of 

 this parasite is carried on. The presence of a true repro- 

 duction is, however, the great fact in the memoir. Among 

 the individuals of Polyphagus developing ' in the inter- 

 spaces of the dead Euglense will J be found two forms ; 

 one larger than the other, and generally spherical in 

 shape, is the female plant ; the other, small and more or less 

 club-shaped, is the male plant. From the former there is a tube- 

 like prolongation which passes into a haustorium ; from the 

 latter there are several haustoria ; these] remain thread-like if 

 they encounter no Euglenas, or enlarge when they do. These two 

 unicellular plants then conjugate, but after a somewhat strange 

 and novel manner. The protoplasmic contents of the female 

 plant project through an opening in the cell wall, forming slowly 

 an oval mass (gonosphere), with the which a haustorium from 

 a neighbouring male plant, coming into contact, there is a co- 

 mingling of the contents of the two plants, and thereby a zygo- 

 spore is produced ; sometimes these have a quite smooth covering, 

 at other times they are rough, with minute prickles. After a little 

 rest the zygospore develops a zoosporangium, from which issue 

 swarm-spores, and the cycle is complete. As the result of these 

 investigations, the author would place the Chytridia forms in the 

 group of the Siphomycetes. It will be observed that though the 

 whole contents of two cells go to form the zygospore, yet that the 

 difference in the size of these cells is very marked, and that the 

 behaviour of the gynoeciel cell reminds one of what takes place in 

 an oospore. (Cohn's Beitrdge zur Biol, der Pflanzen, Bd. ii. 

 Hefc.2, 1876.) 



Cryptogamic Flora of Russia. — We notice the appearance 

 of the first fasciculus of an important Russian work, by M. 

 Sredinsky, being a Catalogue of Russian Cryptogams. The 

 work will be divided into five parts : Vascular Cryptogams, 

 Musci, Lichens, Fungi, Characese, and Algae, each part to appear 

 in several separate fascicules. The first fasciculus is a description 

 of the Vascular Cryptogams of Southern Russia, Transcaucasia, 

 and the neighbourhood of St. Petersburg. Much valuable mate- 

 rial, collected by Russian botanists, is already in the hands of 

 the author, and many members of the St. Petersburg Society of 

 Naturalists have promised to supply him with much additional 

 material for his valuable work. 



Alg/E of the Gulf of Finland.— At the last meeting, 

 February 28, of the St. Petersburg Society of Naturalists, M. 

 Gobi made an interesting communication on the Algce of the 

 Gulf of Finland. They are not numerous and have migrated from 

 the Atlantic Ocean. Towards the east the red Algse become rare, 

 and all diminish in number and size. It must be observed also 

 that the red Algae of the Gulf of Finland have almost nothing in 

 common with those of the White Sea, which circumstance is an 

 argument against the existence of a former communication 

 between the Baltic and the White Sea advocated by some 



geologists, but more and more discountenanced by the latest 

 explorations. Describing in detail the most important forms of 

 red Algae of the Gulf of Finland, M. Gobi exhibited a complete 

 collection of them, together with a series of drawings and of 

 microscopical plates from the same. 



Botanical Geography of Russia. — The seventh volume 

 of the Memoirs of the St. Petersburg Society of Naturalists 

 contains a most valuable contribution to the botanical geography 

 of Russia, by M. Gobi, " On the Influence of the Valdai- 

 plateau on the Geographical Distribution of Plants, with a 

 Sketch of the Flora of tin Western Part of Novgorod Govern- 

 ment," The author begins with a detailed description of the 

 orography of the region, of its geological structure, its soil and 

 subsoil, its marshes, lakes, &c., and deals at length with the 

 climate of the country. Further, after a review of former 

 botanical works dealing with the same region, he gives a list of 

 plants growing on the plateau (615 Phanerogams). The fourth 

 chapter is devoted to a delineation of the main topographico- 

 botanical subdivisions of the flora ; and the fifth is a detailed 

 discussion of the relations existing between the flora of the 

 plateau and those of neighbouring tracts. After some general 

 remarks the author traces here the boundaries of the regions 

 occupied by about fifty plants, which boundary-lines run either 

 across the plateau or along its slopes. The intrusion of these 

 plants from the north, north-east, and south is graphically shown 

 on three maps accompanying the paper. 



NOTES 



We understand that the Council of the new University 

 College, Bristol, intend shortly to appoint a Principal of the 

 College. We presume that the claims of science will be well 

 considered in the appointment, as the movement to which the 

 college owes its origin took its rise in the desire to found a school 

 of science for the West of England and South Wales. In the 

 interests of the higher scientific and literary education, we hope 

 that the Council^may be successful in securing the services of an 

 eminent man for_so_important a post. 



At the monthly meeting of the Council of the University 

 College of Wales, one of the governors present expressed his 

 intention to give 200/. a year for three years, to be applied in 

 such form as the Council may deem best in connection with the 

 college for the encouragement of scientific agriculture. 



The President and Fellows of the Chemical Society dined 

 together at Willis's Rooms on Tuesday evening, the company 

 numbering about 200, and including some of the most distin- 

 guished names"^in science. Prof. Huxley, in responding to the 

 toast of the Learned Societies, pointed out that most of the 

 younger London scientific societies are offshoots, or "buds," of 

 the Royal Society ; the latter, he maintained, now more than at . 

 any other time, needed sympathy and support. Prof. Huxley 

 alluded with some humour to the extraordinary claims put in by 

 some applicants for a share of the government grant, one gentle- 

 man alone having asked for 3,000/. out of the 4,000/. Some of 

 the applicants reminded him of the Irishman who requested 

 government to give him an appointment in any capacity ia 

 Church, Army, Navy, or Civil Service, his sole qualifications, 

 the applicant confessed, being an inexhaustible fund of animal 

 spirits and a keen sense of humour. 



An influential meeting was held at the Mansion House on 

 Tuesday in support of the erection of an Imperial Museum for 

 India and the Colonies, to which scheme we have already re- 

 ferred in detail. The proposal met with the warm approval of 

 the meeting, and it was resolved that steps should be taken to 

 move in the matter, and have a building erected on the Thames 

 Embankment, on the site of the now demolished Fife House. 



The Morning Pott of March 15 contains an article on the 

 present state of the Loan Collection of Scientific Apparatus, and 



