690 " SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



With regard to the genetic relationship of the genus, the author 

 inclines to the opinion that the three genera Ascomyces, Exoascus, and 

 Saccharomyces should be united together into the group ExoascesB, 

 the species of which exhibit themselves in three different forms, 

 viz.: — (1) Not parasitic (Saccharomyces); (2) growing outside the 

 host-plant, and producing within it asci only (Ascomyces, including 

 the species A. endogenus on Alnus glutinosa, A. Tosquinetii (?), on the 

 same, and A. polyporus on Acer tataricum) ; (3) growing outside the 

 host-plant, and producing within it both asci and mycelium (Exoascus). 



Nocturnal Spore-formation in Botrytis cinerea.* — Dr. L. Klein 



records a series of experiments for the purpose of determining why 

 Botrytis cinerea (Peziza Fuckeliana) forms its spores only in the 

 night-time, under whatever conditions the development takes place. 

 The conclusion arrived at is that the red-yellow half of the solar 

 spectrum promotes, while the blue-violet half acts prejudicially on 

 the formation of spores ; and this retardation is sufficiently strong to 

 render the net result in the daytime nil. Lamplight, on the other 

 hand, in which the red-yellow half is stronger, acts as a positive 

 inciter. Darkness favours the formation of spores, as is shown by 

 shutting off the light from young cultures. 



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

 G. Winter has now (in parts 16 to 18) given a further instalment of 

 Dr. Eabenhorst's important work, still concerned with the Pyrenomy- 

 cetes (Hypocreaceae and SphseriaccEe). This difficult family is being 

 worked out with very great care, the synonymy and literature are 

 referred to, a point of great importance in determining species, and each 

 species is illustrated with well-executed and characteristic woodcuts. 



Zopf s Myxomycetes.f — Of this most exhaustive accoimt of the 

 structure, development, and affinities of a most difficult group, we 

 can give only the outlines of the classification, viz. A. Monadine^ ; 

 mostly hydrophytes, partly parasites ; usually with a zoocyst form ; 

 Plasmodia wanting, or arrested at early stages of development. 



1. M. azoosjporecB. (1. Vampyrellege ; 2. Bursullineae ; 3. Mono- 

 cystacese.) II. M. zoos^orece. (1. Pseudosporese ; 2. GymnococcacesB ; 

 3. Plasmodiophorae.) B. Eumycetozoa : aerial organisms, never 

 parasites ; plasmodia never wanting, usually highly developed ; fruc- 

 tification generally highly developed. 1. SorophorecB. (1. Guttulinese; 



2. Dictyosteliacese.) II. Endosporece. (a) Peritrichece (1. Clathro- 

 ptychiacese; 2. Cribrariacese) ; (h) Endotrichece ; a. Stereonemese (1. 

 Calcariacese ; 2, Amaurochsetacese) ; /?. Coelonemege (1. Trichiacese ; 

 2. Arcyriaceee ; 3. Eeticulariaceae ; 4. Liceaceae j 5. Perichaenaceee). 

 III. Exosporece. 



Zopf adopts Eostafinski's term, plasmodiocarp, to express sporo- 

 cysts (or cysts which contain resting reproductive cells) which remain 

 in the condition of plasmodia. 



* Bot. Ztg., xliii. (1885) pp. 6-15. 



t Zopf, W., ' Die Pilzthiere oder Schleimpilze ' (Breslau, 1884) (Schenk's 

 * Handbuch der Botanik,' in Encyklop. der Naturwissenschaften). 



