146 
NATURE 
[| Fune 17, 1886 
among Vascular Cryptogams is three; this is again a 
point in common with certain Muscinee. 
This would not be the place to enter upon those details 
of the mode of development of the embryo, which Dr. 
Treub has worked out with such signal success It must 
suffice, while referring those who are specially interested 
in the subject to the original paper, to state merely the 
most prominent facts. In the first place there is a con- 
siderable difference between the development of the 
embryo in Z. cernuum, and that of L. Phlegmarza, while 
in certain points the latter corresponds to Selaginedla 
Martenstt, Thus the ovum in ZL. Phlegmaria divides 
first by a wall perpendicular to the axis of the arche 
gonium into two: of these, the cell next the neck becomes 
the suspensor, the other is the mother-cell of the embryo ; 
the latter develops ultimately into a multicellular mass 
arranged in two tiers: the lower tier forms only the 
massive “foot,” while from the upper (ze. that further 
from the neck of the archegonium) are derived the stem 
and single cotyledon, and ultimately also the first root. 
The mode of origin of the root is interesting in connec- 
tion with my own recent observations of the exogenous 
origin of the root in Phylloglossum. According to Dr. 
Treub’s observations, the first root of Z. Ph/egmaria is at 
first covered by an envelope a single layer of cells in | 
thickness, which cannot rightly be regarded as the outer- 
most layer of the root-cap; accordingly we have the 
barest possible example of endogenous formation, only a 
step removed from the exogenous. These and other 
results of the investigation of the development of the 
embryo of Z. Phlegmaréa afford fresh material of the 
greatest value for comparison, not only with other groups 
of the Vascular Cryptogams and with the Muscinez, but 
also with other species of the genus Lycopodium. 
Further, the full account given of the prothallus provokes 
a comperison which Dr. Treub has embodied as follows 
(p. 88) :—“ As far as it is possible to judge at present, we 
find in the sexual generation of the Lycopods, more clearly 
than elsewhere, transitional terms between the great 
series of the Muscinez and that of the Vascular Crypto- 
gams.” Some readers will doubtless call to mind, in 
connection with this, a striking passage by a well-known 
botanist, Prof. Goebel, written a few years ago (Schenck’s 
Handbuch der Botanik, Bd. ii. p. 401), which runs thus :-- 
“We must then satisfy ourselves by asserting that the 
gulf between the Mosses and Pteridophyta is the deepest 
that we know in the vegetable kingdom, and bridging it 
over by hypotheses and explanations does not make it 
one whit the less.” 
In this treatise of Dr. Treub we are put in possession 
of those positive observations which, beyond their in- 
trinsic and independent interest, acquire the highest pos- 
sible value from the fact that they fit into this wide and 
deep gulf, and materially help to fill it up. Such obser- 
vations, and the theoretical considerations which follow 
them, are sure of a hearty welcome among the fellow- 
countrymen of Charles Darwin. 
I cannot close this article without a brief reference to 
the peculiar case of symbiosis found in the prothalli of 
L. Phlegmaria. Endophytic Fungi have already been 
described in prothalli of other species, and here Dr. 
Treub finds the tissues constantly infested by a fungus, 
apparently one of the Peronosporez. Its thin filaments 
inhabit the interior of the cells themselves, but without 
killing them, the nuclei of the cells remaining normal, 
while the growth of the prothallus does not appear to be 
visibly hindered by its presence. It would appear that 
we have here a case of “commensal” symbiosis, in the 
strictly literal sense ; unfortunately it is impossible as yet 
to follow out the subject thoroughly into its details, but 
we may hope that Dr, Treub may be able shortly to give 
us some more general insight into the economic relations 
of the two organisms thus amicably associated together. 
F. O. BOWER 
THE UNITED STATES FISHERIES} 
HESE two volumes, with the familiar black cloth 
binding, shiny paper, and plates of photo-engrav- 
ings, characteristic of American official publications, are 
the first instalment of a series, which is to contain the 
results of an exhaustive survey of the United States 
fisheries from all possible points of view. The purpose 
and method of the survey, and the history of its origin 
and progress, are sketched in a prefatory note by Mr. 
Spencer F. Baird. In 1879 it was arranged that the 
Tenth Census, which is under the direction of General 
Francis A. Walker, should co-operate with the Commis- 
sion of Fish and Fisheries in carrying out an historical and 
statistical investigation of the fishery industries. The 
direction of the whole survey was intrusted to Mr. G. 
Brown Goode, Assistant Director of the National Museum, 
who had for some years previously devoted a large portion 
of his time and energies to the study of the fisheries. The 
work to be carried out was divided by Mr. Brown Goode 
into seven departments :—(1) Natural history 6f aquatic 
products ; (2) the fishing grounds ; (3) the fishermen and 
fishing towns ; (4) apparatus and methods of capture ; (5) 
products of fisheries ; (6) preparation and manufacture of 
fishery products ; (7) economy of the fisheries. The co- 
operation of every person who had any special knowledge 
of the subjects under consideration was secured. The 
field-work was so divided that each portion could be 
assigned to men who were most competent from their 
previous experience to undertake it. The shad and ale- 
wife fisheries, for example, were assigned to Colonel 
Marshall MacDonald, the Alaska. fisheries to Dr. T. H. 
Bean. 
It was understood from the beginning that the results 
obtained should be set forth in a series of finished reports, 
of which those referring principally to the exploited organ- 
isms, namely, fish and aquatic animals, should be 
presented to and published by the Fish Commission, 
while those dealing with the exploiting organisms, the 
fishermen and manufacturers, should be the property of 
the Census Office. The expenses of the work have been 
shared between the Commission and the Census. The 
reports prepared for the Fish Commission being too bulky 
for publication in the annual reports, permission was 
obtained from the Senate and House of Representatives 
to publish them separately. The series will be as follows:— 
Section i. natural history of useful aquatic animals (the 
two volumes now before us) ; ii. the fishing grounds ; iii. 
the fishing towns ; iv. the fishermen: v. the apparatus of 
the fisheries and the fishing vessels and boats; vi. the 
fishery industries ; vii. the preparation of fishery products ; 
vill. fish culture and fishery legislation; ix. statistics of 
production, exportation, and importation; x. the whale 
fishery ; xi. a catalogue of the useful and injurious aquatic 
animals and plants of North America: xii. a list of books. 
and papers relating to the fisheries of the United States ; 
xilll. a general review of the fisheries, with a statistical 
summary. 
The statistical reports prepared for the Census Office 
are ten innumber. The results they contain have been 
already partially published in Census bulletins and in 
statistical tables scattered here and there in various 
volumes. The prefatory note concludes- with a brief 
summary of the statistics of the fisheries. In 1880 the 
number of persons employed in fishery industries was 
132,426, of whom 101,684 were fishermen. The total — 
value of the capital invested was $37,955,349. : 
After the prefatory note we find the letter of transmittal 
from Mr. Brown Goode to Prof. Baird. In this it is 
stated that the work is intended especially for the use of 
the reading public, and technical zoological discussions 
* “The Natural History of Useful Aquatic Animals cf the United States,’” 
forming Sectioni. cf ‘' Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States.”” 
1 vol. ‘Text; 1 vol. Plates. 4to. (Washington, Government Printing Office, 
1884.) 
eee 
| 
; 
