ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 275 



Fungi of Finland.* — Herr E. Eostrup describes the following new 

 species of parasitic fungi from Finland, viz.: — Ustilago Warmingii on 

 Bumex crispus, Tilletia arctica on Carex festiva, JEcidium Angelicse on 

 Angelica sylvestris, Trochila juncicola on Juncus cowpressus, T. Conioselini 

 on Conioselinum Gmelini, Dothidella frigida on Phaca frigida, Sphsero- 

 grapliium Vaccinii on Yacciniam uliginosum, Arthrinium naviculare on 

 Carex vaginata, A. bicorne on Juncus compressus, and Bamularia salicina 

 on several species of Salix. 



Protophyta. 



Nucleus in Oscillaria and Tolypothrix.f — By the use of the 

 following method Dr. D. H. Scott has been able to demonstrate the 

 presence of a nucleus in the cells of several species of Oscillaria and 

 Tolypothix. The preparation was treated for five minutes with methy- 

 lated ether, and then stained for four minutes with Kleinenberg's hema- 

 toxylin. The specimen was then mounted in Canada balsam. In the 

 middle of each cell a deeply stained roundish body was seen, which had 

 a distinctly fibrous structure, comparable to the " knot stage " of the ordi- 

 nary nucleus as seen in pollen-mother-cells just before division. Other 

 preparations were made by treating for two hours with picro-nigrosin solu- 

 tion, followed by immersion in saturated solution of chloral hydrate for 

 two minutes, the filaments being subsequently mounted in pure glycerin. 



Dr. Scott regards these observations as tending to obliterate the line 

 of demarcation between Cyanophyceaa and true Alga3. 



Microchaete.f— Sig. A. Borzi has investigated the life-history of 

 Min-ochsete grisea, which is always found attached to a Calothrix. Besides 

 the ordinary mode of multiplication by hormogonia, he finds that this 

 species produces Chroococcus-like reproductive bodies, gonidia or spores. 

 From the germination of the hormogonia are produced directly flagelli- 

 form filaments endow-ed with a power of motion, which are indistinguish- 

 able from a Calothrix. The author concludes that Microchsete grisea must 

 be regarded as merely a biological species, a phase in the development 

 of Calotltrix parasitica, or of some nearly allied species. 



Life -history and Morphological Variations of Bacterium 

 Laminarige.§ — M. A. Billet observed at Wimereux a new species of 

 Bacterium in sea-water in which Laminarise were macerated. It was 

 found in four stages, which the author distinguishes as the filamentar, 

 the dissociated, the interlaced, and the zoogloaic. The first is the initial 

 state, and in it the organisms are colourless immobile filaments, the 

 largest of which are about 120 /x long; the breadth is hardly ever more 

 than 1 ijl. The filaments are at first rectilinear, but as they grow 

 they become more and more undulating, and finally they become arranged 

 in from ten to fifteen spiral turns. The constitution of the filaments 

 varies with the age of the culture ; at first the protoplasm ajjpears to be 

 homogeneous and uninterrupted, but there are fine transverse striae 

 which have the appearance of septa ; with age the protoplasm begins to 

 segment, and as the joints appear the sheath of the filament becomes 

 apparent. After a time the undivided filaments are replaced by chains 

 of rectilinear elements which quit their sheath to enter the dissociated 



* Bot. Tidsskr.. xv. See Bot. Centralbl., xxxii. (1887) p. 257. 



t Journ. Linn. Soc. Lone].— Bot , xxiv. (1887) pp. 188-92 (1 pi.). 



j Malpighia, i. (1887) pp. 486-91. § Comptes Rendus, cvi. (1888) pp. 293-5. 



