292 Bihliograpliical Notices. 



peculiar for having very large coracoid and acromion pro- 

 cesses, the latter being broad, compressed, and lanceolate ; and 

 the body of the scapula is small in comparison -with these 

 processes. 



The upper arm-bone is subcylindrical and slightly curved, 

 nearly as long as the ulna and radias, which are compressed 

 and parallel, having only a linear suture between them. 



He says the caqDal bones were nearly all lost, and only one 

 or two of the digital bones were obtained ; but, in a letter 

 written three or fom* days afterwards, he states that he is going 

 to send me a photograph of the scapula and paddle restored as 

 well as the materials will allow. 



BIBLIOGllAPHICAL NOTICES. 



Becherdies anaiomiqv.es et ph)/siolor/iques sur les Champitjnons. Par 

 J. B. Caexoy. (Bulletin de la Societe Boyale de Botanique de 

 Belgique, tome ix, p. 157.) 



It would seem, from some remarks at the close of the paper of which 

 the title is given above, that it is intended to form one of a series. 

 Although nominally embracing Fungi in general, it relates only to 

 the Mui'orrneiP, and for the most part to a single species, supposed 

 to be new, and which is called Mucor romanus*. The author's re- 

 marks upon the polymorphism of this Mucor (that is, the number of 

 phases which it assumes at different periods) are curious, and, if 

 confirmed, will be of considerable importance. The paper is of great 

 length ; and in what follows an attempt has been made to give a 

 concise summary of the author's views of the polymoi-phism of the 

 species, without entering into the minutiae of its anatomical and 

 physiological details. 



It would, M. Camoy says, be a great mistake to suppose that the 

 life of the Mucor inece is confined within the narrow circle of a 

 mycehum and a mucorinean fructification. Under certain conditions 

 the Mucorinecp assume all the characters of the Mucedinece ; or, in 

 other words, they have two lives or phases, a mucorinean and a 

 mucedinous. The mucorinean phase has also its primary and secon- 

 dary forms, of which the primary one is the normal weU-known 

 form of Mucor. The secondary forms are veiy numerous, but may 

 he divided into two great groups : — 1, sporangial forms, in which the 

 sporangia are abnormal but the spores of which reproduce the 

 normal form of Mucor ; 2, acrogenous forms, or those in which, 

 instead of sporangia, macroconidia are produced. 



These macroconidia are of rare occurrence, and often will not 

 germinate ; but in experiments made with the spores of Mucor 

 ronianus it was found that when sown upon the heads of fish which 



* The plant was discovered m a dark cave at Rome. 



