292 Bibliographical Notices. 



peculiar for liavlng- 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 upj^er arm-bone is subcylindrical and slightly curved, 

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

 and parallel, having only a linear suture between them. 



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

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

 written three or four 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. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



Itecherches anatotniques et pliijsiologiques sur les Champignons. Par 

 J. B. Carnoy. (Bulletin de la Societe Iloyale 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 iutended to form one of a series. 

 Although nominally embracing Fungi in general, it relates only to 

 the Mucorineop,, 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 polymorphism of the 

 species, without entering into the minutiae of its anatomical and 

 physiological details. 



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

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

 mycelium and a mucorinean fructification. Under certain conditions 

 the Mucorinece assume all the characters of the Muced'mece ; or, in 

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

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

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

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

 be 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 arc produced. 



These macroconidia are of rare occurrence, and often will not 

 germinate ; but in experiments made with the spores of Mucor 

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



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



