1909] CURRENT LITERATURE 399 
tion. The fungus, whose spores start to germinate in alkaline media, was not 
successfully cultivated in the laboratory. The cross-walls of the multinucleate 
cells of the vegetative hyphae have a pore, on each side of which are a number 
of deeply staining granules, whose function was not determined. The archicarp, 
a scolecite arising as a branch from a vegetative hypha, consists of a basal vegeta- 
tive portion, a central ascogonial part, and a terminal vegetative region, which is 
regarded as a functionless trichogyne. "The number of cells in each of these regions 
varies greatly. rom the basal region numerous investing hyphae arise. 
Although the ascogonia grow crowded together, each fruit arises from a separate 
ascogonium. ‘The cells of the ascogonial portion have each a pore in their trans- 
verse walls, which is guarded by small granules early fusing together to form a pad 
closing the pore. This pad eventually disappears, leaving the multinucleate 
ascogonial cells in communication. _ Nuclear fusions are believed to occur in all 
fusions occurring even before the pads disappear. Ascogenous hyphae arise from 
any or all of the ascogonial cells. Each ascogonial cell is regarded as female, _ 
and in the absence of an antheridium the nuclear fusions are held to represent 
a type of reduced fertilization. The asci develop from the penultimate cells of 
the recurved tips of the ascogenous hyphae in the usual way. The usual nuclear 
fusions and divisions occur in the development of the ascus. No karyokinetic 
figures were observed, and the method of spore-formation is not described.— 
J. B. Overton 
Respiration and fermentation.—KosTyIscHEW, in a preliminary paper,"s 
Points out.that “‘the metabolism of the complex processes of vital oxidation remain 
Conceding that anaerobic respiration is identical with alcoholic fermentation, 
he enumerates the possibilities as to the réle of zymase in respiration: (1) the 
zymase of seed plants is not identical with that of yeast; (2) alcoholic fermentation 
in seed plants occurs in the presence of O,, but has nothing to do with aerobic 
Tespiration; (3) alcoholic fermentation is the first stage of aerobic respiration, the 
alcohol formed being oxidized to CO, and H,O; (4) alcoholic fermentation is the 
first stage of aerobic respiration, but in the presence of air under normal conditions 
ho alcohol is formed, because the intermediate products are oxidized; (5) alcoholic 
fermentation is the first stage of aerobic respiration, but the alcohol is used as 
constructive material. Of these possibilities he eliminates several, citing various 
researches which bear on them, and reports his own investigations, which indicate 
the correctness of the fourth hypothesis above. The small quantities of alcohol 
that have been observed by some investigators are easily accounted for by the 
assumption that the oxidative power of the plant does not always keep exact pace 
aoe eee 
OSTYTSCHEW, S., Ueber den Zusammenhang der Sauerstoffatmung mit der 
Michcletruse Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesells. 26:565-573- 1908. 
