930 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



failed to detect conjugation, all the swarmspores germinating without 

 conjugation. He saw, however, a number of malformations, which 

 may have been mistaken by Goebel for stages in this process. 



Red Colouring Matter of Chlorophycese.*— Dr. J. Eostafinski 

 has examined the nature and properties of the red colour assumed by 

 the spores, isospores, oospores, and zygospores of many Chlorophyceae, 

 when they pass into the resting state. With sulphuric acid it 

 assumes a beautiful dark blue colour, which completely disappears 

 on heating, after first changing to red. 



This same reaction is displayed also by the chrysochinon CigHjoOa 

 discovered by Liebermann. The two substances also agree in being 

 soluble in fuming nitric acid. The spectrum of a solution of chryso- 

 chinon shows an absorption-band in the red at A, while at the violet 

 end a total absorption begins a little before D. 



Favourable instances for the examination of the red pigment of 

 Algfe occur in the oospores and antheridia of Chara, in Chlamydo- 

 monas, in Hcematococcus, and in transitory states of Phycopeltis, 

 Mijcoidea, and Trentepolilia. The last was chosen by the author. On 

 treating this with cold alcohol, the pigment was at once dissolved, 

 which is not the case in other instances. The cells had then become 

 almost colourless, containing only minute drops of a strongly refrac- 

 tive, orange-red substance, which manifested the sulphuric acid 

 reaction, and were soluble in chloroform and hot alcohol. If the 

 entire plant is boiled in hot alcohol, small flakes of an apparently 

 crystalline nature separate on cooling. A microscopic examination 

 shows that radiating star-shaped drops of a red resinous substance are 

 united together by means of a golden-yellow mass. The precipitate 

 can be separated by means of cold alcohol from the yellow substance. 

 Only traces remain of the red pigment, but sufficient to impart a 

 beautiful orange-ruby- red colour to the chloroform. The spectroscope 

 shows a continuous absorption similar to that of chrysochinon, but also 

 the distinct chlorophyll-band between C and D. 



Extremely similar reactions are presented by the xanthin of yellow 

 flowers, such as the petals of the wallflower. 



All the red spores, &c., of the Chlorophycete spring from chloro- 

 phyllaceous cells, and develope into chlorophyllaceous cells. Trente- 

 polilia also soon becomes green, even if kept in the dark, the green 

 colouring-matter showing the characteristic absorption-bands of the 

 spectrum of chlorophyll. From these facts Eostafinski concludes 

 that the red pigment, which he calls chlororufin, is a reduced chloro- 

 phyll, the chlorophyll being a product of the oxidation of chlororufin. 

 It is possibly identical with Millardet's solanorubin. 



The author remarks, in conclusion, that the Hcematococcus of the 

 Alpine glaciers never turns green, the green colour frequently observed 

 on tracts of snow being due to a Chlamydomonas. 



Studies on Vaucheria.f — In this paper Professor 0. Nordstedt 

 first describes some new species of Vaucheria from Oeresund : 



* SB. Krakauer Akad. Wiss., June 20, 1881. See Bot. Ztg., xxxix. (1881) 

 p. 461. 



t Bot. Notiaer, 1879, pp. 177 (2 pis.) ; see Hedwigia, xix. (1880) p. 61. 



