ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 1045 



a similar passage into glycogen. It is interesting to note that in the 

 yonng Claviceps there is a special accumulation of glycogen at the 

 points where the organs of fructification afterwards appear, especially 

 in the cells which occupy the central region of the cavity of each 

 future perithecium, whence it disappears as the spores reach maturity. 

 Many spores inclose oil formed at the expense of the glycogen, and 

 during germination this changes into the transitory glycogen found 

 in the germinating filaments. An interesting physiological parallel 

 between phanerogamic and cryptogamic germination is thus indicated. 



Helicobasidium, a new Genus of Hymenomycetes.* — M. N. 



Patouillard describes a fungus parasitic on Asarmn europeeum under the 

 name Helicobasidium purpureum, which he regards as the type of a 

 new genus. It is characterized by a peculiar twisting of the basidia, 

 each of which is surmounted by two sterigmata. The basidia are 

 arranged like those of Corticium ; the spores are colourless, and 

 kidney-shaped. 



Puccinia Thlaspidis.j — M . P. Vuillemin finds this fungus 

 parasitic on Tldaspi alpestre, at various altitudes in the southern 

 Vosges. It is characterized by the absence of the heteromorphy which 

 is so characteristic of the genus, occurring only as teleutospores 

 without any uredo- or £ecidio-form. The germination of the spores 

 is preceded by a gelatinization of the membrane. The teleutospores 

 appear to have lost their ordinary property of hibernating, and the 

 fungus persists through the winter by means of its mycelium. 



Mould-fungi as Ferments.^ — Prof. F. Cohn describes the mode 

 of fermentation of the Japanese sake or rice- wine. The material used 

 is grains of " Tane Kosi," i. e. of rice coated with the mycelium, 

 conidiophores, and greenish-yellow chains of conidia of Aspergillus 

 Oryzce. The fermentation is caused by the mycelium of this fungus 

 before the development of the fructification. The rice is first exposed 

 to moist air so as to change the starch into paste, and then mixed with 

 grains of " Tane Kosi," The whole mass of rice is shortly permeated 

 by the soft white shining mycelium, which imparts to it an odour of 

 apple or pine- apple. To prevent the production of fructification, 

 freshly moistened rice is constantly added for two or three days, and 

 then exposed to alcoh(dic fermentation from the Saccliaromyces which 

 is always present in the rice, but which has nothing to do with the 

 Aspergillus. After two or three weeks the fermentation is completed, 

 and the golden-yellow sherry-like sake poured oft". A sample manu- 

 factured in the laboratory contained 13 "9 per cent, of alcohol. 

 Chemical investigation showed tliat the Aspergillus-iaycaMnxa trans- 

 forms tlie starch into glucose, and thus plays the part of a diastase. 



Another substance produced from the Aspergillus-vico is the soja- 

 sauco. The soja-boans, which contain little starch but a great deal of 

 oil and casein, are boiled, mixed with roasted barley, and then with the 

 grconish-ycllow conidia-powder of the Aspergillus. After the myce- 



* IJull. Soc. mt. France, vii. (1885) pp. 171-3. t Hm'I., pp. 184-5. 



: .Jli. HchlcH. Gesell. Vatcrl. Cultur, Ixi. (1881). See Liol. Contralbl., v, 

 (1885) p. 417. 



Ser. 2.— Vol.. V. 3 Y 



