34 



tion becomes binucleated. The germ tube and subsequent cells 

 are all binucleated. The nuclei divide conjugately. He holds 

 that these forms of fungi are reduced types rather than primitive 

 ones. 



The second part is devoted to a cytological study of the life 

 cycle of Coprinus nychtemerus Fr. He studied the germination 

 of spores of this species and found that the cells of the germ 

 tube are uninucleated, binucleated and more rarely multi- 

 nucleated. He also reports the presence of clamp connections 

 in which he discovered peculiar structures resembling nuclei. As 

 to what the significance of these bodies is Kniep is not clear. 

 He argues that the clamp connections serve no other purpose 

 than to facilitate the transportation of food stuffs. Mycelial 

 cells in later stages are uninucleated and binucleated. He holds 

 however that the binucleated condition does not become fixed 

 until the formation of the carpophore. The nuclear phenomena 

 in the basidium are similar to those reported by other observers. 

 He finds eight chromosones in the first division. Kniep was 

 unable to find secondary nuclei in the basidium. 



Michael Levine 



MoLiscH, H., Ueber den Einfluss des Tabakrauches auf der 

 Pflanze. Sitzb. Wien Akad. Mat. Nat. Kl. 120 Abt. i: 3-30, 

 813-838, + 2 pis. 191 1, takes up the question of the effect of 

 tobacco smoke on plants grown under greenhouse conditions. 

 Seedlings of Vicia sativa, Pisum, Cucurbita Pepo, etc., were grown 

 in water cultures, covered by a bell jar of 4 L. capacity and 1-3 

 puffs of cigar or cigarette smoke passed under the jars. Excellent 

 photographs illustrate the striking results. Growth in length 

 is practically stopped in the plants subjected to smoke; they 

 commonly show a greater stem-diameter, however, than the 

 controls. If the seedlings are grown in porous flower pots the 

 results are similar for about the first three days, then the smoked 

 plants begin to grow rapidly — a result attributed to the absorp- 

 tion of the injurious substances by the soil and pot. 



Similar effects were obtained with the smoke of paper, wood, 

 straw. Using singly various of the constituents present in 

 tobacco smoke, it was found that nicotine is quite without effect, 



