SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



large annual toll. It may be assumed that both 

 are due to micro-organisms, the microbe of con- 

 sumption being well-known, that of cancer being, 

 as yet. only suspected. Probably no inhabitant of 

 Britain escapes infection by the cancer organism ; 

 certainly none escape infection by the microbe of 

 tubercle. Most of us, fortunately, resist the 

 intruders and are unaffected by the disease. 



Processes of Crystallization - . — The pro- 

 cesses of crystallization are being studied by 

 Professor von Schroen, who has taken 2,800 

 micro-photographs to show the transfer of organic 

 into inorganic matter. It seems that this fact led 

 to a recent sensational and incorrect report that 

 crystals had been found to be organic substances. 



Meridcm Circclare. — This beautiful diatom 

 may be found in the ooze on the borders of 

 pathways in the woods and in natural parks. To 

 be certain that one has this diatom, we should 

 carry, as part of our collecting outfit, a high-power 

 platyscopic lens, a slide and a cover-glass. Place 

 a drop of the gathering on the slide and cover, and 



Fossil Bacteria. — From the " Annales des 

 Sciences Naturelles " we learn that M. B. Renault 

 has long worked at the identification of bacteria 

 found in geological strata, and now publishes the 

 general results of his observations in a paper 

 illustrated with a large number of drawings. As 

 might be expected from their simple structure, 

 bacteria appear to have been coeval with the first 

 appearance of organic life on the earth, the 

 coccoid form being apparently earlier than the 

 bacillar. Indications of their presence are found 

 in bone, teeth, scales and coprolites, as well as 

 abundantly in vegetable tissues. Spores and 

 sporanges of ferns appear to have been especially 

 subject to their attacks. The species are, as a 

 rule, distinct from those at present in existence. 



Reproduction of Marine Diatoms. — In a 

 paper, entitled " On the reproduction of some 

 Marine Diatoms " (Proc. Roy. Soc, Edin.,) Mr. 

 George Murray gives an account of the results of 

 his researches on reproduction in this group. The 

 author has observed in some marine forms a very 



Chaclmugra Fat Crvstal*. 



Fig. 2. 



view with the lens, when the characteristic rings 

 will be visible, and with them will be observed 

 separate cuneate frustules. The rings are character- 

 istic on account of their width and disposition of 

 the frustules about the centre 



ktipied by Pollens. — The 

 " journal of Pharmacology " contains an interesting 

 paper by Mr Charles I'fister, on the pollens of 

 I herbs ; his enquiry having been undertaken 

 be view of determining whether the po 

 drugs could be recognized i ( any pollen 



which they ma;, -contain Mr Pfister's conclusion 

 is that they can, and i figures and des- 



cription* which corroborate his statement Thus 

 the pollen of horehound ii squarish oblong 

 and smooth ; that of worm- .. <■ 



■•Mowish. v,mc grains r<: x.-mbling a 



Mr F'fiiter not profess 



exhaustive, bir ra, and 



lug up He mounted the 

 - 



■ 



interesting and totally new method of division. 

 This form of reproduction was observed in 

 Coscinodisais, Biidulphia, Chocboccros, etc., but was 

 followed out more fully in the first-named genus. 

 In Coscinodisais the cell contents divide by 

 successive division into eight or sixteen portions, 

 and these become rounded off and lie free in the 

 mother cell like spores in a sporangium. Each 

 of these portions becomes invested with valves 

 showing the characteristic markings, and in fact 

 becomes a young Coscinodisais. These young 

 forms ultimately escape from the parent cell, and 

 are found floating free in the water as packets of 

 eight or sixteen small individuals enclosed in a 

 delicate membrane ; later on the several Individual 

 themselves become completely free. 

 m to > > r Oi bcti e 1 n Mm ' Journal ol 



the New York Microscopical Society," I 'r V. ( 



mi., ihis subject, 

 In the 1 - th( writer says: A severe 



test, then, or one thai bould 1 01 Lthin thi 



ability of thi fulfil the condition! 



