76 EXTRACTS AND ABSTRACTS 



the whole, appear altogether of a full blue colour, but under the micro- 

 scope present only here and there blue globules, ^-^th of a millimetre 

 in size. They are not altered by death. The fungi cannot, therefore, 

 be reckoned among cellular plants. 



In Agaricus epixylon there are no single cells. The tissue consists 

 of anastomosing vessels, commonly furcated, occasionally three cor- 

 nered sometimes jointed, with young branches proceeding from the 

 joints. The tubes are often united by a cross band like the letter H. 

 The vasa laticifera most nearly resemble these. This structure is 

 common to all Fungi. Thus it is a regular branched vascular structure. 



The vasa laticifera are simple elementary organs which form together 

 the circulating apparatus of plants. The tissue of the Fungi is dis- 

 tinguished by the felt-like structure, and by the want of circulation, at 

 least during great part of their existence, as well as by the minute 

 globules in the fluid. This last fact is characteristic of the Fungi. 



Milne Edwards on the Breathing Organs of Oniscus and Tylos. In 

 the latter of these, the large transverse foleaceous appendages of the 

 abdominal feet, have on the lower side a series of eight or nine air-holes, 

 through which the air passes into as many small organs of breathing, 

 which lie in the long foleaceous vesicles, the surface of which is full of 

 tubular and ramose elongations. These float in the chyle of the animal, 

 and assume an intermediate form between the respiratory organs of the 

 spider and the air-tubes of the carp. In Oniscus and Porcellio, the ante- 

 rior leaves of the first two pair of abdominal feet, have several irregular 

 apertures beneath the hinder margin, observed by Latreille, respecting 

 which Edwards has shown, that the air penetrates through them to a 

 branched organ in the interior of the appendage, as in Tylos. A clas- 

 sification of the Crustacea, founded on their respiratory organs, would, 

 therefore, not be natural. 



[From Valentin's Repertorium, 1840.] 



Stiebel on Lysogonium tcenioides. This creature, found by Stiebel in 

 the deposit of certain mineral springs, is thus described by him : It 

 appears under the microscope as a very long articulated body, enveloped 

 by a mucoid or transparent covering, the articulated portions being con- 

 nected together by a straight band or muscle running along on both 

 sides. Each portion is divided by a transverse canal, running between 

 and below the mucoid envelope, and which has a small opening close 

 to the straight muscle before-mentioned. The extremities of the body 

 are oval-shaped, and the creatures are aggregated in bundles, ad- 

 hering together by means of a sort of slime. Sometimes one of the 

 bodies projects beyond the mass, or moves in an oscillating manner. At 

 its anterior extremity (which contains less granular matter), a distinct 

 articulated head is seen, having a dark notch laterally, which is the 

 mouth ; this opening, when viewed dorsally, as it were, appears trian- 

 gular, and from which a proboscis is sometimes seen to emerge. A deli- 

 cate triangular appendage or feeler, is seen projecting on each side (or 



