486 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



remarkably developed, as in Cryptothele and Pyrenopsis. Their mode 

 of union with the gonidia is very various ; in some cases it is eflfected 

 by means of a special hyphal branch, or even by a kind of 

 " haustorium " or absorptive organ. 



The fungal element always produces reproductive organs, while 

 the alga rarely produces spores. The spores of the fungus are always 

 endogenous ; the apothecia are sometimes open, sometimes closed ; 

 spermogonia with spermatia are often met with. The fungal 

 characters are, however, so variable, that the classification of the 

 Gloeolichens must depend on the characters of the gonidia. Three 

 types of chroococcaceous algee have been distinguished in the gonidia, 

 according to which the Gloeolichens are divided into the following 

 families: — (1) Pyrenopsidei, including the genera Cryptothele, 

 Pyrenopsis, Synalissa, and Phylliscidium (n. gen.) in which the gonidia 

 are formed by Glceocapsa ; (2) Phylliscei, comprising Pyrenopsidium 

 and PTiylliscum, with the gonidia composed of Chroococcus turgidus ; 

 and (3) Omphalariei, including Collemopsidium, Euchylium, Psoro- 

 tichia, Peccania, Anema, and OmpTialaria, with the gonidia consisting 

 of Xanthocapsa. The following diagnosis is given of the new genus 

 Phylliscidium: — Thallus monophyllus, umbilicatus, gonidiis Gloeocapsee 

 in tela hypharum pseudoparenchymatiea insertis ornatus. Apothecia 

 lecanorina margine crasso; sporsB S-nae, simplices, hyalinse, ellipsoidesB. 

 Spermogonia spermatiis oblongis. 



Fungi. 



Toxicological Ingredients of certain Fungi.* — Herr R. Bohm finds 

 in Boletus luridus large quantities of choline together with a substance 

 similar to cholesterin, small quantities of muscorin, and an acid, 

 luridic acid, crystallizing in brilliant red needles, and yielding 

 succinic acid on distillation. Amanita pantherina contains essentially 

 the same substances, but its acid crystallizes in yellow crusts. 



Organ for excretion of resin in Fungi.f — According to Dr. E. 

 V. Wettstein, the glutinous coating on the pileus of many species of 

 Polyporus, such as P. australis and laccaius, is due to an excretion of 

 resin. This takes place from hyphte of peculiar form, thickened 

 above into a globular or club-shape, and containing when young an 

 oily yellow fluid. Eventually from three to six protuberances appear 

 at the ends of these hyphse, which gradually increase and exude a 

 cap of resin, and these gradually flow together into a continuous 

 layer. This process may be repeated and the coating of resin thus 

 comes to consist of several layers. 



Trichophyton tonsurans-f — Dr. G. Thin finds from new re- 

 searches on this fungus, that, contrary to his previous observations, § 

 the hyphse continue to grow even when excluded from the atmosphere. 



* Chem. Centralbl., xvi. pp. 249-51. See Journ. Chem. Soc. (Abstr.), 1885, 

 p. 1008. 



t VerhaBd]. K. K. Zool.-Bot. Gesell. Wien, xxxv. (1886) p. 29. 

 X Proc. Koy. Soc. Lond., xxxix. (1885) pp. 415-6. 

 § Ibid., xxxiii. (1881) p. 234. 



