920 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



the vascular bundles, which are arranged in a perfect circle around 

 the pith." All that has been published on the microscopical organs for 

 the last fifty years might be included on twenty or twenty-five volumes 

 for every hundred that really exist. The only redeeming feature is 

 that the plates with their descriptions have been so good as to 

 constitute a clear resume of the book, and to render a reference to the 

 text unnecessary. 



On attempting to add to the Prodromus details relating to the 

 microscopical organs, the author found it impossible of accomplish- 

 ment, for these reasons : want of clearness in the names used for the 

 parts ; some of the words used impossible to translate into another 

 language, particularly Latin ; omission of some characters ; the 

 number of species in which a given character has been seen is so 

 small that it is impossible to decide whether it can be attributed 

 to a siugle species, a group of species, a genus, a tribe, or a family ; 

 and lastly, the names are often doubtful, anatomists not giving them- 

 selves the trouble to verify the name or to cite the aiithority for it. 



Microscopists, it is complained, turn in a circle of about 2000 

 species of Phanerogams, that is, in a fiftieth part of the whole. 



The author gives the following suggestions for the guidance of 

 observers : — (1) Investigate the anatomical points from species to 

 species in the same genus, then from genus to genus, family to family, 

 cohort to cohort. (2) Examine the large herbaria for the correctness 

 of the names, &c. (3) Use the Linnean style for descriptions, as is 

 already done in the case of Cryptogams. (4) Do not multiply need- 

 lessly the names of organs, and above all, do not displace an existing 

 name of Greek or Latin origin by a new one. (5) Write with clear 

 divisions, resumes, and indices. 



B. CRYPTOGAMIA. 



Classification of Glceophytes (Thallophytes).* — C. Gobi objects 

 to Endlicher's term Thallophyta for the lowest class of Cryptogams, 

 on the ground that the higher seaweeds possess a true stem and 

 branches ; while on the other hand, in many Muscinefe and some 

 flowering plants, as Wolffia, the vegetative system consists of a thallus. 

 He proposes to substitute it by Glceophjta, founded on the strong 

 tendency of the cell-walls to gelatinize. 



Gobi's system of classification is founded, in the main, on the 

 same principles as De Bary's, but difffers in some points.f 



The series of Chlorophycese commences with the group of Mobilia, 

 distinguished by their power of spontaneous motion. The simplest 

 form of this is the unicellular jEcematococciis or Chlamydococcus, be- 

 longing to the series Agamoe, with two kinds of spores. The five 

 primary groups of CyanophjcecB, Chlorophycexe, Phceophjcece, Bhodo- 

 ph/cece (Florideae), and Fungi, may again be classified, by a cross- 

 division, in accordance with Sachs's proposal, into the Agamce, Iso- 

 gamce, Oogam(B,SinA Carposporece, dependent on the mode of reproduction, 



* Bot. Ztg., xxxix. (-1881) pp. 489-501, .505-18. 

 t See this Journal, ante, p. 273. 



