ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 829 



is needed for determining fine points, such as the structure of the 

 cortex. Should these species be incrusted with lime, a piece should be 

 placed in a little strong vinegar till the lime is completely dissolved, 

 then washed in pure water and examined. Specimens foul with mud 

 must be cleaned in water with a camel's hair brush, but this is liable to 

 detach the globules of fruit, and is only occasionally to be resorted to. 

 Should it be desirable to preserve bits for future reference, they are best 

 mounted in glycerin-jelly, in cells deep enough to avoid crushing, and 

 shallow enough to permit free examination (flattened brass curtain-rings 

 make excellent cells). When the jelly has dried at the edges, turn on a 

 ring of white zinc cement. 



Cultivation of Lichen-forming Ascomycetes without Algse* — 

 Dr. A. MoUer has, in a number of lichens, especially crustaceous lichens, 

 succeeded in cultivating on nutrient media the fungus from ascospores 

 and spermatia to the exclusion of gonidia, considerable thalli being 

 formed, and in two kinds even spermogonia. The cultivations were 

 rendered difficult in one way by the extremely slow growth of the objects, 

 and in another by the presence of bacteria and saccharomyces. To 

 meet the latter inconvenience the author took the apothecia from 

 places which were as free from dust as possible, and placed them under 

 a stream of water for 10 minutes, and by so doing a few pure cultivations 

 were obtained. When the cultivations on the slides had become visible 

 to the naked eye they were placed in flasks of the same shape as 

 Erlenmayer's bulbs, sorne in nutrient media, some on sawdust &c., and 

 the flasks closed with filter paper. 



Apparatus for Infecting.! — Herr N. W. Diakonow proposes the 

 following plan for the culture of fungi. The advantages claimed for the 

 process are : — (1) the absolute purity of the culture from admixture with 

 any other species ; (2) the possibility of carrying on the culture in several 

 different vessels at the same time ; and (3) the equal distribution of the 

 spores over the whole surface of the nutrient fiuid, and the consequent 

 unimpeded growth of every separate mycelium. The author has culti- 

 vated PenicilUum glaucum with great success in this way. 



The apparatus (fig. 152) consists of a centre-vessel A, and a number 

 of side-vessels C surrounding it in a circle. To the upper neck of A is 

 fixed, by an india-rubber connection, a tube B, dipping deep down into 

 the vessel ; the upper broad half of this tube is loosely filled with cotton- 

 wool ; the whole tube is easily movable in all directions. A number of 

 short glass tubes a, usually from 4 to 7, are fused into the vessel A in a 

 horizontal plane, at equal distances from one another. To these glass 

 tubes a are fixed, by india-rubber connections, the side vessels C of any 

 desired form and size. Each of these vessels has a small glass tube, c 

 fused into it at the same level as the tubes a; the ends of these tubes, 

 about 2 cm. in length, project into the vessels, and are curved at right 

 angles downwards. 



When the apparatus is about to be used, each of the side vessels is 

 provided either with the same or with different nutrient fluids. In the 

 centre vessel is also placed a nutrient mixture of glucose and peptone. 

 The side-necks d and e are then stopped with wads, and all the vessels 

 sterilized at the same time by boiling. During the boiling the cocks h 



* Unters. Bot. Inst. Miinster i. W., 1887, 52 pp. 



t Ber. Deutsch. Bot. GeselL, vi. (1888) pp. 120-6 (1 fig.). 



