232 BOTANICAL GAZETTE 
certain causes an injury termed “‘spiderweb disease.”” A number of other fungi, 
many of them new, described on the stems, roots, and fruit of the plant. Those 
on the fruit are mostly saprophytic molds. The last part of the report contains 
some observations on sterility of coffee flowers, variation in the fruit, polyem- 
bryony and the influence of light, and injuries due to nematodes.—H. Hasse1- 
BRING. ; 
THE INFLUENCE of chloral hydrate upon nuclear and cell division is described 
in a recent paper by NEmeEc.‘+ It is possible that very weak solutions may stimu- 
late division, but more concentrated solutions cause various disturbances. Some 
stages in mitosis are more readily and more profoundly influenced than other, 
The phragmoplast is most resistant. The stages of metakinesis are much les 
resistant, and the equatorial plate stages and stages in the formation of the spindle 
are the most sensitive of all. Root tips which have been treated for an hour in 
0.75 per cent. chloral hydrate show a degeneration of the spindle fibers and an 
interruption of mitosis. If the solution be washed out and normal conditions 
restored, mitosis proceeds in the usual manner, but the interrupted mitoses give 
rise to cells with several nuclei, or an irregular nucleus and incomplete walls may 
be formed. In binucleate cellsthe nuclei may fuse, and the nucleus resulting 
from such a fusion has double the usual number of chromosomes. In cells ia 
which the two nuclei do not fuse, two mitoses may occur simultaneously. Cells | 
jvithout nuclei may be formed. Mitoses with double the number of chromosomes — 
gradually disappear from the root tip and apparently a reduction in the number 
of chromosomes takes place. There was no conclusive evidence that chloral ; 
hydrate causes amitosis. Figures which might be mistaken for amitosis were 
NON-SEXUAL NUCLEAR FUSIONS is the title of a series of short papers by 
normal mitosis and abnormalities become less numerous, — f the 
eight hours’ washing the processes are practically normal. The nuclet of 
binucleate cells fuse and some stages in the fusion might be mistaken = nyt 
© amitosis, however, was observed. When a nucleus which has resi of the 
fusion divides, it shows double the number of chromosomes characteristic : 
sporophytic cells. Nimec believes that the double number is not 
_  34NEmec, B., Ueber die Einwirkung des Chloralhydrats 
teilung. Jarhb. Wiss. Bot. 39: 645-730. figs. 157. 1904. ; Mi Konig 
_ 33 NEMEc, B., Ueber ungeschlechtliche Kernverschmelzungen. Sita, Bet ae 
Bohm. Gesells. Wiss. I, 1902; II, July 1903; III, Nov. 1903: : 
abundant, but they could be interpreted as interrupted or modified mitoses — 
HARLES J. CHAMBERLAIN. : 
SE ge Wes 
auf die Kern und Zé 
