ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 931 



V. coronata and V. intermedia. The second part contains observations 

 on the Vaucherice of the Herbarium Agardhii. It is worthy of notice 

 that the name F, orniihocephala Ag. is older than the uncertain name 

 V. sericea Lyngb. The third part contains a synopsis of all the 

 hitherto known European species of the genus Vaucheria. 



Parasitism of Chlorochytrium.* — G. Schaarschmidt has observed 

 this alga in peculiar circumstances among a mass of diatoms that 

 were preserved through the winter for examination. No trace of the 

 alga was seen when they were first received, but it made its appear- 

 ance in the spring in the remains of leaves of Quercus cerris which 

 came with the water. The zoospores bored into these, and there 

 formed the large irregular sacs of Chlorochytrium Lemnce, which subse- 

 quently became free and vegetated. These phenomena throw great 

 doubt on the parasitic nature of this alga, assumed by Cohn.f 



New Diatoms.:}:— In an account of all the diatoms found in sea- 

 water from the coast of Messina, Count (Abbe) Castracane describes 

 the following new species : — Coscinodiscus irroratus, Cydotella mar- 

 ginata, Synedra calva, and S. toxoneides. 



Fossil Diatoms.§ — In the tertiary slates of Warnsdorf, in Bohemia, 

 K. J. Taranek has found remains and imj)ressions of a moss {Fon- 

 tinalis sp. ?), among which were a number of diatoms. One of these, 

 Melosira arenaria, still exists in Bohemia. It is in a very good state 

 of preservation. On the inside of the shell is a yellowish-green 

 mass, attached in lumps, which Taranek regards as protoplasm, or the 

 endochrome-plates, or both together in an altered form. 



Periodical and Massive Appearance of Diatoms.jl — P. Eichter 

 records a number of instances of the sudden appearance of immense 

 quantities of diatoms, usually recurring with regularity at particular 

 periods of the year. Among other species are mentioned Achnan- 

 thidium lanceolatum, causing a yellow scum on the water ; Cydotella 

 operculata, producing a brown scum ; Diatoma elongata, in brackish 

 localities ; Campylodiscus noricus, &c. &c. 



Homeocladia and Schizonema.lF — After his discovery of the 

 multiplication of Podosphenia by spores. Count (Abbe) Castracane 

 has made various observations on these two genera of diatoms. 

 Homeocladia Martiana he found in small tufts on stones, and dis- 

 tinctly saw the movement of the Nitzschia within the sheath. The 

 sheaths have the faculty of shortening themselves by transverse 

 wrinkling, caused, the author believes, by temporary exposure to the 



* IMagyar Noveutyani Lapok, v. (1881) p. 37. See Bot. Ceutralbl., vi. (1881) 

 p. 333. 



t See this Journal, ante, p. 801. 



X Atti Accad. Pontif. Nuovi Liucei, xxsii., Jan. 25, 1880. See Bot. Cen- 

 tralbl., vi. (1881) p. 333. 



§ SB. kon. bohm. Ges. Wiss. in Prag, 1880, pp. 284-91 (1 pi.). See Bot. 

 Centralbl., vii. (1881) p. 1. 



II Hedwigia, xx. (1881) pp. 81-4. 



•| Atti Accad. Pontif. Nuovi Lincei, xxxiii, (1880). See Bot. Centralbl., vi. 

 (1881) p. 181. 



3 Q 2 



