674 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XI. No. 278. 



A STUDY OF FUNGUS POISONS. 



By the use of a number of deleterious agents, 

 Mr. J. F. Clark was able to determine approxi- 

 mately their toxic effect upon the germination 

 and development of certain fungi. His results 

 were published in the November and December 

 numbers of the Botanical Oazeite. He used five 

 common moulds, viz : Aspergillus flavus, Sterig- 

 matocysiis nigro, Oedocephahim albidum, Penieil- 

 lium glaucum and Botrytis vulgaris, on account 

 of their ability to grow normally under the con- 

 ditions imposed by the experiments. Twenty- 

 eight chemical substances were used, including 

 half a dozen acids, eight hydroxids, three oxi- 

 dizing agents, five sulfates of the strongly toxic 

 metals, etc. A table of results is compiled, 

 giving the coefficients of injury, inhibition, and 

 death point. The author's summary includes 

 many points, three of which we may quote, 

 viz : " (1) Fungi are in general much more re- 

 sistant to most deleterious agents than the 

 higher plants. In the case of the mineral acids 

 a concentration of from two to four hundred 

 times the strength fatal to the higher plants is 

 required to inhibit the germination of mould 

 spores under favorable conditions. (2) Different 

 species of fungi present great differences of re- 

 sistance to many agents. Of the agents tested 

 in this study, NiSO^ permitted the greatest 

 specific variation and dichloracetic acid the 

 least. (3) Particular forms of the same species 

 present very different powers of resistance, 

 depending probably on previous environment." 

 Chables E. Bessey. 



The University of Nebraska. 



THE LABOBATOBT OF THE U. S. FISH COM- 

 MISSION AT BEAUFORT, N. C. 

 The laboratory of the United States Fish 

 Commission, at Beaufort, on the coast of North 

 Carolina, will be reopened for work on the first 

 of June, and will remain open until October. 

 The laboratory is designed for research in 

 marine biology (zoology, botany, physiology), 

 and, for the present, is open to men only. The 

 collecting outfit is particularly good, including 

 steam launch, sailboat, skiffs, dredges, trawl, 

 seines, surface nets, etc. The indoor equipment 

 embraces the usual apparatus, glassware, and 



reagents, provided by marine laboratories. The 

 more important works on the systematic zoology 

 and natural history of the forms that are found 

 on this part of the coast, will be on hand ; and 

 the current numbers of the more commonly 

 used journals will also be received. Naturalists 

 working at the station will find a collection of 

 identified forms, illustrative of the fauna and 

 flora of the region, together with a record of 

 breeding times and local habitat of the species. 



Beaufort is a pleasant village to which a few 

 people come for a quiet vacation. The collec- 

 tions of the earlier naturalists, and the work of 

 the Marine Laboratory of the Johns Hopkins 

 University, stationed here under Professor 

 Brooks for many years, made known the inter- 

 esting character of the fauna — which is exceed- 

 ingly varied and abundant, including most of 

 the forms described for the South Atlantic coast. 

 Kesearch at the laboratory is untrammeled, it 

 being assumed that every occupant of a table 

 will, in the course of his investigations, add to 

 our knowledge of the natural history of this 

 part of the coast. Inquiries and applications 

 for tables, for which there is no charge, should 

 be addressed to the Commissioner of Fish and 

 Fisheries, Hon. George M. Bovvers, or to the 

 director of the laboratory. 



H. V. Wilson, 

 Director of the Laboratory. 



University of North Carolina, 

 Chapel Hill, N. C. 



PBOFESSOB DEWAB ON SOLID HYDROGEN. 



We are able to print in the present number 

 of Science an interesting address by Professor 

 Dewar before the Royal Institution on his work 

 on the 'Liquefaction of Hydrogen.' Professor 

 Dewar has continued his researches and gave a 

 further lecture before the Royal Institution on 

 February 6th, an account of which we take 

 from the London Times. 



The theatre of the Royal Institution was 

 crowded to its utmost capacity to hear Professor 

 Dewar lecture on ' Solid Hydrogen.' Sir Fred- 

 erick Bramwell was in the chair, and among 

 those present were Lord Lister, Lord Eayleigh, 

 Sir F. Abel, Sir W. Crookes, Sir B. Baker, Sir 

 Henry Mance, Professor Odling, Mr. T. W. 

 Swan, the Solicitor-General for Scotland, Dr. 



