1899] CURRENT LITERATURE 403 
germinating spores and by developed mycelium. The glucose produced is 
first completely used by the plant; the benzene derivatives are then used 
very much more slowly, if at all. Amygdalin, as attacked by most fungi, 
| forms an exception to the foregoing statement. Though it may be split by 
_tmulsin into glucose, benzaldehyde, and hydrocyanic acid, it is usually 
ken up byinvertin into glucose and amygdalic acid, the latter being fur- 
ther decomposed into glucose and mandelic acid.—C. R. B. 
SINCE Strasburger’s thorough work on Polygonum divaricatum (1879) 
litle or nothing has been done with the embryology of any nearly related 
flan. A recent article on Rumex?’ shows that in this genus the origin 
and development of the megaspore is the same as in Polygonum, viz: an 
uchesporial cell divides into a primary tapetal cell and a sporogenous cell, 
ihe latter giving rise to four megaspores, one of which germinates. The 
ies size of the nuclei makes this rather unfavorable for cytological study, 
hit, judging from the plates, the very clearly defined sequence prece ing 
the formation of the endosperm nucleus (secondary nucleus) indicates that 
Nawaschin’s recent theory could be shown to be inapplicable in this casé.— 
UJ. CHAMBERLAIN. 
y of Sciences in 
Dr. HANS Mouiscu presented to the Imperial Academ 
“The Secretion 
Vj 7 
i at the meeting on December 1, 1898, a paper upon 
alm Wine and its Causes.” Heretofore the bleeding of the palm when the 
ilorescence was amputated has been ascribed to root pressure. Three 
| ae though it poured out abundantly above. 
“Not —. continued to bleed for one or two days an 
ing to Moli paw bleeding pressure. The osmotic Poe "che aeee 
Of Cog stag has its origin not in the root but in the axis 0 Bei ae? 
*and in the adjacent upper part of the stem in Arenga.’—C. Kk. P- 
o lime- 
Hr : ‘ oo 
8 LIND introduces an article on the penetration of fungi cts a 
. j in 
and bones? with a twelve-page summary of the previous work 0 
Fin + ta Bot. 
._< BRUCE: Contribution to the life history of Rumex. Minneso' 
l€s, , 
2 737-153. p/. 9-72. 1899 
(Esterr, bo bd 7 1899. ahrb. 
t. Zeits. 4 . 4. 
9 J 
*Li : * 
, IND, K.: Ueber das eindringen von Pilzen in Kalkstein und Knochen 
8. 
hy 
pm Bot. 33: 603-634. 189 
