March 14, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



407 



concentric faces of the tracheid-like ele- 

 ments, but are generally absent from the 

 radial faces. Mucilage canals announced 

 for this plant by Ruprecht are wanting. 

 An abundant formation of polysaccharids 

 goes on in old pinns and hapteres. Ptery- 

 gophora differs strongly in its anatomical 

 structure from Lessonia. The secondary 

 thickening differs anatomically from that 

 of other kelps studied. A series of young 

 plants, from 2 cm. in length, shows that the 

 midrib is basally developed in the principal 

 lamina and that it is not present in the 

 younger stages. In this respect Ptery- 

 gophora strongly differs from Alaria. The 

 classification of Pterygophora in the vicin- 

 ity of Alaria is of somewhat doubtful 

 value. It appears rather to be a genus of 

 Laminarieffi and may be related with such 

 a form as Laminaria radicosa Kjellman. 



Germination of Basidiomycetous Spores: 

 Dr. Margaret E. Ferguson, Wellesley 

 College. 



This investigation was undertaken to de- 

 termine, more definitely than is known at 

 present, the conditions of germination in 

 the Basidiomycetes, particularly in Agari- 

 cus campestris. Twelve species out of the 

 twenty-six studied in preliminary tests 

 yielded high percentages of germination in 

 various media, and four species gave fifty 

 per cent, gennination or less. The spores 

 of eleven species germinated in distilled 

 water, but the percentages of germination 

 were invariably lower than when an ex- 

 ternal food supply was jj resent. The effect, 

 on the germination of the spores of Agari- 

 cus camiiestris, of extremes of temperature, 

 alkalies, acids, and organic substances was 

 tested. The spores were also subjected to 

 the action of an artificial digestive fluid. 

 The percentages of germination obtained in 

 these experiments with Agaricus campes- 

 tris varied from to 25. Almost perfect 

 germination of the spores of this species 



was, however, obtained in a large 

 number of cultures and in various 

 media; but a high percentage of germina- 

 tion never occurred except in cultures con- 

 taining the growing mycelium of Agaricus 

 campestris. The germinated spores were 

 frequently transferred to test-tubes con- 

 taining bean stems and other solid sub- 

 strata, and in many instances abundant 

 mycelium was produced. A full report of 

 these studies, which were undertaken at the 

 suggestion of Professor B. M. Duggar, is 

 now in the hands of the publishers and will 

 appear shortly. 



Behavior of Mutilated Seedlings: Professor 

 Byron D. Halsted, Rutgers College. 

 (By title.) 



The particular form of mutilation of 

 seedlings here considered is that of the re- 

 moving of the plumule. In radish seedlings 

 the first change noticed was the deeper 

 green of the cotyledons, followed by a re- 

 markable elongation of the petioles. The 

 cotyledons became thicker than in those of 

 the normal plants, due to increase in size of 

 cells, and filled -with starch, while the roots 

 grew to considerable size. In the morning 

 glory a similar behavior of the cotyledons 

 was observed, while the hypocotyls became 

 enlarged and served as a repository for the 

 large accumulation of starch. In the Hub- 

 bard squash the cotyledons of the de- 

 plumuled plants remained close to the earth 

 and grew to four or more inches in length, 

 and held green for over four months. The 

 egg-plant as a type of a slow-growing seed- 

 ling produced rigid upright cotyledons that 

 became quite fleshy and remained alive for 

 many months. The sunflower illustrates a 

 type in which the hypocotyl elongates 

 greatly until it is sometimes over nine 

 inches in length, with the primitive struc- 

 ture retained. In other words, the ring of 

 wood is not developed as in the normal 

 plants. These experiments illustrate how 



