190 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY {Jul 



Fertilization of Cystopus candidus. — Iq a previous 

 number of tliis Journal attention was called to a paper by 

 Mr. Stevens on the fertilization of Cysitopus bliti in which 

 a large number of nuclei pass iuto the ooplasm when the 

 oosphere is differentiated and that they are doubled in 

 number by mistosis so that when ready for fertilization 

 the oosphere contains about one hundred nuclei. About 

 an equal number of sperm nuclei enter the oosphere from 

 the antheridial tube,tliese fusing with the female nuclei. 

 Dr. Davis who has studied the allied C. candidus finds 

 that this species is uninucleate. One of the nuclei from a 

 point near the periphery of the ooplasm slips back from 

 the center and takes a position near the coenocentrum. 

 The coeaoceutrum is not a permanent structure. The nu- 

 clei of C. Candida are very small and the mitotic figure is 

 diflQcult to make out. The coenocentrum disorganizes at 

 about the time of the fusion of the sexual nuclei. (Bot. 

 Gazette 29 ; 297). 



Incandescent Gas-light on Plant Growth. — L. C. Cor- 

 bett concludes from the study of the effect of incandes- 

 cent gas-light on plant growth that the gas-light from a 

 Welshbach burner is an active stimulus to plant growth 

 when used at night to supplement daylight. Lettuce 

 plants were taller and heavier than plants of the same 

 variety and seed sowing grown under normal conditions. 

 Lettuce as well as spinach grew faster and completed their 

 growth in less time than plants of the same sort from the 

 same seed sowing grown in normal conditions. The most 

 susceptible plants were in the following order : spinach 

 cabbage, radish, lettuce, tomato. The maximum growth 

 was attained at 12-16 feet while a small increase was no- 

 ticed at 24 feet. In case of tomatoes the flowers appear- 

 ed earlier, eight days being the least and eighteen days the 

 greatest difference. (Bull. West. Va.Agrl. Exp. Sta., 62). 



Antipodal Cells in Grasses. — Canon states that the 



