ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 677 



species. From a comparison of these with the clesmid flora of other 

 northern countries, he comes to the following conclusions on the 

 distribution of the DesraidiacecT3. 



The desmiil-flora of Greenland is very nearly related to that of 

 other neighbouring countries, especially Scandinavia. Only one arctic 

 species occurs in Nova-Zembla, Spitzbergen, and northern Greenland which 

 is well distinguished from that of more southern countries. The flora 

 of Norway agrees more closely with the arctic flora than does that of 

 Sweden and Finland. The constitution of the dcsmid-floras of Spitzbergen 

 and Greenland does not favour the theory of an interchange of species 

 between these countries : but both can be well explained on the 

 supposition of a previous land-connection bi.tween these countries 

 and the continent of northern Europe. 



Volvox globator.* — According to Drs. M. L. Mallory, G. W. Eafter, 

 and J. E. Line a peculiar odour and taste of fresh fish which has been 

 observed in the water of the Hemlock Lake, near Rochester, N,Y., is 

 due to the presence of vast quantities of Volrox glohator, though whether 

 in the living state or in process of decay they are unable to say. 



Fungi. 



Conjugation of Nuclei in the Impregnation of Fungi f — Herr W. 

 Chmielewskij has been able, by the use of clearing-reagents, to make the 

 zygotes of Basidioholus rananim transparent during the process of 

 impregnation. After two weeks he finds the nuclei still distinct ; but 

 after four weeks they had completely coalesced. The coalescence of the 

 nuclei is therefore an extremely slow process ; and even after this is 

 comi)leted, the zygote has apparently to go through a period of rest 

 before it can germinate. Unripe zygotes, in which the nuclei are still 

 distinct, will germinate, and there are then two nuclei in the germi- 

 nating filament. 



In Cystopus candidus the oogone contains, before impregnation, only 

 a single nucleus, and that of the anther id is the same size as that of the 

 oogone. After the entrance of the male gonoplasm into the oogone, two 

 nuclei could still be distinguished ; but these gradually coalesce, and 

 the mature oosperm always contains only one. 



Saccharine matters of Fungi.J — M. E. Bourquelot has investigated 

 the composition of the saccharine substances found in Boletus aurantiacus, 

 and in several species of Ladarius. He finds the results difier according 

 to the mode of extraction, whether by drying, boiling, or distillation, 

 from which he infers that when fangi are simply dried, the vital 

 processes and consequent chemical changes go on for a considerable 

 period after they are gathered. The results also difier from year to 

 year in the same species, probably in consequence of varying atmospheric 

 conditions. Wlien dried at 100° C, the author found in the various 

 species of Lactariiisk proportion of manuite, varying between 2 "14 and 

 15*0 per cent. ; while the extract with boiling water yielded a certain 

 amount of trehalose, which is probably entirely consumed in the process 

 of drying or ripening. 



* ' Voloox glohator, ns the cause of the fishy taste and odour of the Hemlock 

 Lake Water in 1888,' 10 pp. and 2 pis., Rochester, N.Y., 1889. 



t Arb. Neu-russ. Naturf. Gesell., xiii. (1888) pp. 113-21. See Bot. Oentralhl., 

 xxxviii. (1889) p. 789. % Comptc3 Rendus, cviii. (1889) pp. 568-70. 



