ZOOLOaY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. - 759 



Elodea and Funaria, especially in solutions containing potassium ctromate ; 

 they are finally transformed into small red balls. The tannin-vesicles of 

 the Zygnemacefe may, under certain conditions, be expelled from the 

 cytoplasm ; but this is probably only a pathological phenomenon. 



Plasmolysis in Flowering Plants.* — Herr A. Wieler has repeated 

 on flowering plants (Pliaseolus multijlorus, Vicia Faba, Helianthus 

 annuus), the experiments made by Janse on fresh- and salt-water algjfi, 

 and with the same result, viz. that after remaining for a long time in 

 plasmolysing media, the plasmolysis disappears. The phenomenon 

 regarded by Janse as exceptional, appears therefore to be of wider dis- 

 tribution ; the results obtained by Wieler being in direct opposition to 

 those of De Vries. j 



C2) Otlier Cell-contents (including Secretions). 



Alkaloid and Sugar in Cyclamen.l — M. G. Michaud finds in the 

 rhizome of the Cyclamen a poisonous principle, cyclamine, and in addi- 

 tion, a new sugar, a levogyrous saccharose, to which he gives the name 



cyclamose. 



Laticiferous product of Mimusops and Payena.§ — MM. E. Heckel 



and F. Schlagdenhauffen state that their attention has been lately turned 

 to the product obtained from Mimusops and Payena, as it has been 

 suggested that it might be capable of replacing the gutta-percha obtained 

 from Isonandra gutta. After giving the analyses of the various products, 

 the authors state in conclusion that the gutta obtained from the Mimusops 

 somewhat resembles in composition and properties that obtained from 

 Isonandra, but that it would be necessary to mix it in order to make it 

 a useful industrial product, while, on the contrary, that obtained from 

 Payena might more properly be classed among the caoutchoucs. 



Formation of Sugars in the Septal Glands of Narcissus. || —Mr. E. 

 H. Acton states that in the genus Narcissus there are three separate 

 glands, one in each septum of the ovary, not united, and simple ; they 

 only occupy the upper part of each septum, not extending below the 

 middle of the ovary. The author gives the details of various experiments, 

 and draws the following conclusions as to the nature of the process of 

 secretion of sugars in Narcissus and other plants having the kind of 

 nectaries called septal glands : — (1) That the first stage consists in a 

 maximum formation of protoplasm containing a large amount of meta- 

 plasm, especially in the form of proteid granules, but not of starch-grains, 

 mucilage, or any form of solid carbohydrate. (2) That the sugars are 

 probably derived from the decomposition of this metaplasm, and con- 

 stitute one of the products of the change. That both glucose and 

 saccharose are formed simultaneously. (3) That the excretion of the. 

 saccharine liquid into the gland-cavity in the first instance takes place 

 through the cell- walls without any rupture, splitting away of the cells of 

 the epithelium from one another, or mucilaginous degeneration, and must 

 therefore be supposed to result, in the first instance at least, from the 

 direct activity of the protoplasm in the secreting cells. 



* Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesell., v. (1887) pp. 375-80. 



t See this Journal, 1885, p. 84. 



X Arch. Sci. Phys. et Nat., xviii. (1887) pp. 198-212. 



§ Comptes Eendus, cvi. (1888) pp. 1625-7. 



II Aun. of Bot., ii. (1888) pp. 53-63 (6 figs.). 



3 F 2 



