1905] CURRENT LITERATURE’ 317 
mother-cell, the gametophytic generation begins with the spore rather than with 
the spore mother-cell—CHaries J. CHAMBERLAIN. 
BoRrGESEN and JENSEN37 have given a floristic description of a portion of 
heath in Jutland, Denmark. On the suggestion of WARMING, a part of the estate 
now meadow has been reserved for experimental purposes, the object being to 
trace the developmental phases from cultivated soil to heath. Another portion 
of the heath was burned over in order to trace the progressive stages from no 
vegetation until the tract is again converted into the Calluna heath. Another 
object in view is to trace the succession of plants on areas which now are or are 
to be planted with conifers. The data of the present condition seem to be thor- 
oughly detailed and classified. Hence it would seem that future observations 
on this tract will furnish interesting and valuable material for the ecologist — 
G. H. Jensen. , 
lactic acid is one of the intermediate products in alcoholic fermentation (with 
which StToKLAsA absolutely identified anaerobic respiration), in the light of the 
researches of Ner. At the close of his paper StoxtasA hints darkly at results 
which indicate that chlorophyll-free plant cells form CHOH as in photosynthesis, 
oe being reduced by nascent H to formaldehyde, water being again formed. 
ok. B. 
Livincston finds3° that the cations of many metallic nitrates and sulfates 
act in the same way and at the same concentration upon Stigeoclonium, producing 
death at certain concentrations, causing the filamentous form to become palmel- 
loid at lower concentrations, and sometimes at the latter concentrations, but 
oftener at a still lower one, accelerating in a marked degree the formation of 
Zoospores. The palmella effect is identical with that produced by withdrawal 
vd Water, but the zoospore effect is exactly the opposite. The degree of tox- 
‘city of the metals found agrees in a general way with that found by other observers, 
though there are many unexplained discrepancies.—C. R. B. 
N THE BASIS of comparative researches with the quartz spectrograph, 
TScurrctt comes to the conclusion? that the yellow pigments of flowers and 
ei Bor SEN, —, and Jenson, —, En floristisk Underségelse af et Stykke Hede 
: Vestjylland. (A floristic research on a portion of heath in West Jutland.) Bot. 
ldsskrift 26 :—___. 1904 
38 STOKLASA, .. Ueber das Enzym Lactolase, welches die Milchsaiurebildung in 
der Pflanzenzelle verursacht. Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesell : 460-46 On: 
39 Livingston, B. E., Chemical stimulati f a green alga. 
32°1-34. figs. 17, 1905. , 
IRCH, A., Vergleichend-spektralanalytische Untersuchungen, etc. Ber 
Deutsch. Bot. Gesells. 22: 414-439. 1904. 
Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 
