ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICEOSCOPY, ETC. 95 



readily in alcohol, ether, and chloroform ; they are quite insoluble in 

 benzin, petroleum-ether, and bisulphide of carbon. 



Crystalloids of Cupressineae.* — According to J. Dufour the 

 crystalloids in the seeds of Coniferae differ in some important respects 

 from those of other plants. In Chamcecypcms sjplieroidea the envelope 

 of the aleurone-grains is at least partially soluble in water. The 

 crystalloids inclosed in them are very small, about 6-12 /n long and 

 5-8 ^i broad, and belong apparently to the tesseral system. Dilute 

 potash-ley dissolves at first the envelope of the aleurone-grains, the 

 crystalloids being then attacked. They increase in size, but more in 

 one direction than the others, becoming greatly elongated, sometimes 

 to eight or nine times their original length, before they are dissolved, 

 and pointed at the ends. The angle also increases ; and the alteration 

 in angle and the stretching usually begin at the two ends, gradually 

 advancing towards the middle ; sometimes the stretching begins at one 

 end only, less often in the middle. As it proceeds transverse fissures 

 often appear, not, however, usually completely dividing them. The 

 inference may be drawn that the crystalloids consist of transverse 

 layers of different capacities for swelling. 



Treatment with dilute acetic acid frequently causes the crystalloids 

 to split up completely into these transverse layers. The solution of 

 these then begins in the centre of the lamella, and advances gradually 

 to the circumference. The results are also given of experiments on 

 these crystalloids with hydrochloric and sulphuric acid, alcohol, and 

 with polarized light. 



Non-calcareous Cystoliths.t — H. Molisch finds, in the parenchy- 

 matous cells of Goldfussia isophylla, cystoliths, resembling the ordinary 

 ones in the cortex, but altogether destitute of calcium carbonate. 

 Among the ordinary thin-walled prismatic cells of the pith are poly- 

 hedral or cylindrical sclerenchymatous cells with very thick walls, 

 not unfrequently 1 mm. in length ; each of these idioblasts contains a 

 non-calcareous cystolith, occupying either a portion or the whole of 

 the cell-cavity. Sometimes the cystoliths in several adjoining cells 

 unite, and form what appears like a single one of great length per- 

 forating the transverse cell-walls. They differ from all cystoliths 

 previously described in being usually attached to the cell-walls by 

 several pedicels, which are always short. 



The non-calcareous cystoliths resemble the normal ones of the 

 same plant generally in form, except that they are marked externally 

 by wavy lines instead of ridges. The entire absence of calcium car- 

 bonate is shown by their not effervescing even with concentrated acids, 

 nor forming crystals of calcium sulphate with sulphuric acid. Cal- 

 cination also shows that they are almost entirely destitute of any 

 mineral skeleton. The light red colour produced on addition of 

 phloroglucin and hydrochloric acid, and the deep violet colour by 

 previous treatment with chromic acid on addition of chlor-iodide 



* Dufour, J., ' Etudes d'anatomie et de phvsiologie vegetales ' (1 pi.). Lausanne, 

 1882. See Bot. Centralbl., xii. (1882) p. 157. 



t Oesterr. Bot. Zeitschr., xxxii. (1882) pp. 345-7. 



