ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 935 



trace of buccal opening being observed, and tlie substance of tbe body- 

 never contains foreign corpuscles. The excess of nutritive material 

 absorbed is disposed in the protoplasm under a peculiar and remark- 

 able form — like dissolved starchy material, that turns blue by the 

 action of iodine. 



Baderioidomonas sporifera has, the author thinks, " perhaps a 

 common origin with the Bacteria ; but its evolution has not followed 

 the same direction, and it has retained some of the essential appanages 

 of animality." 



Rabenhorst's Cryptogamic Flora of Germany (Fungi). — The 

 two most recent parts received of this publication (14 and 15) 

 commence the description of the Ascomycetes. The Gymnoasceas 

 are treated in full, including the genera Exoascus (13 species), 

 Endomyces, Eremascus, Gymnoascus (3 species), and Ctenomyces. 

 Next in order come the Pyrenomycetes, beginning with the sub-order 

 Perisporiacefe, divided into the two families Erysiphefe and Peri- 

 sporiese, and including the genera Sphcerotheca, Erysiphe (11 species), 

 PodosphcBra, Microsphcera, Phyllactinia, Uncinula, Thielavia, Dimero- 

 sporium, Magnusia, Ceplialotheca, Zopfiella, Anixia, Em-otium (8 species), 

 Aspergillus (4 species), Penicilliurn (1 species), Zopfia, Perisporium 

 (15 species), Lasiobotrys, Apiosporium (15 species), Capnodium, 

 Asteriaa, and Microtliyrium. The Hypocreaceas are can-ied on as far 

 as the genus Nectria. 



WortMngton Smith on Diseases of Field and Garden Crops.* — 

 Under this title W. G. Smith publishes an exceedingly useful account 

 of the majority of the diseases to which plants are subject, especially 

 those caused by fungi, but including also the ailments due to the 

 attacks of nematoid worms ; as well as a very full description of the 

 parasitism of the clover-dodder. It is copiously illustrated by 

 woodcuts. 



Myxomyeetes with Pseudo-plasmodia.f — 0. Brefeld proposes to 

 divide the Myxomyeetes into two principal types: — Myxomyeetes 

 aplasmodiophori, forms without any plasmodium or with pseudo- 

 plasmodia ; and Myxomyeetes plasmodiophori, forms with true plas- 

 modium. The former are undoubtedly the simpler tyjie, and may be 

 again divided into the Guttulinae with sessile, and the Dictyosteliaceae 

 with stalked sporangium. The Guttulinte, which occur on dung in 

 various forms, are the starting-point of the Myxomyeetes, and must 

 be regarded as among the simplest forms of Thallophytes. 



The Dictyosteliaceae consist of the two genera Polysphondylium 

 and Dictyf'stelium, of which Brefeld describes in detail two species, 

 P. violaceum and D. mucoroides. 



Polysphondylium, a new genus established by Brefeld, differs from 

 Dictyostelium in its verticillate lateral branches, springing from 



♦ Smith, \V. G., ' Diseaaes of Field and Garden Crops,' .353 pp. 8vo, London, 

 1884. 



t Brefeld, O., ' Uiitcre. ausd. Gesammtgeb. der Mykologie,' Heft (i, pp. 1-34 

 (2 plH.). See Hot. Cenlrulbl., xviii. (1884) p. 193. 



