1904} CURRENT LITERATURE 223 
reasserts his previous view that the blepharoplast is a centrosome. He draws 
the following homologies between the structures concerned in plants (Characeae, 
Filicineae, and Equisetum) and animals (salamander and mouse): cilia are 
homologous with flagella; the thread from which the cilia are developed is homol- 
ogous with the middle piece; and the deeply staining body in the plant spermatid 
(Nebenkern of Belajeff) is homologous with the deeply staining body (Kérperchen) 
in the spermatid of animals——CuHar.Les J. CHAMBERLAIN. 
IN THE NUCLEI of the proembryo of Ginkgo biloba, according to Arwoxp1,® 
the chromatin is very inconspicuous, but increases in staining capacity and is 
easily seen during later stages in the development of the embryo. The staining 
reactions of the chromatin favor FIscHER’s theory that staining reactions are due 
to physical rather than to chemical causes. After the embryo has become some- 
what elongated, it is differentiated into an upper haustorial region, a middle region, 
which is the suspensor, and an apical region which gives rise to the embryo 
proper.—CHARLES J. CHAMBERLAIN 
Laurent’ has published the ie of a study of the Juncaceae, the first 
part dealing with the phenomena extending from the first appearance of the ovule 
to the formation of the testa, the second part describing the phenomena connected 
with seed germination. Various species of Juncus and Luzula were he 
facts of pollination and of fertilization are as usual; the undifferentiated sikaven 
of certain species of Juncus are in contrast with the completely organized embryos 
of Luzula; the suspensor “contributes” to the formation of periblem and forms 
= Foot cap; the antipodal tissue, especially in Luzula, is noticeably active; and 
i of the testa forms the basis of a division of Luzula into two groups. 
is may CONTRIBUTES further data on the statocyst theory of geotropic 
asa He has investigated a considerable number of plants in which 
whos . of mobile starch has been hitherto questionable. In all cases 
various a8 were geotropically sensitive (he examined many species and 
hy caaia ¢ found starch-bearing cells which may be considered statocysts in 
ofChara, Hi panting special study, also, was made of both stems and rhizoids 
ee of the ee results strengthen HABERLANDT’s view that the Glanzkérper at the 
He leaves dace He act as statoliths, but he could find no such bodies in the shoots. 
of Phycomyces tled the question as to whether the oil drops in the sporangium 
ainda nitens act as inverse statocysts.—C. R. B. 
» W., Beitrige zur Morphologie der Gymnospermen. VI. Ueber 
Clin fn m Embryo von Ginkgo biloba. VII. Die Embryobildung be bei 
0 
Ann. Inst. Agronomique et Forestitre & Nowo-Alexandria 16:1-2 
Laurent, MARCELLIN, Rech + ne ees on Joncées. Ann. Sci. 
a Be VI. 19: a ~ re 
97-192. pls. 1-8. 1904. 
¥ * 
cade aoa s Zur Cremeans des Geotropismus. Beihefte Bot- 
