210 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



sterilized, and in the connecting-tubes small vine 

 branches, which were to serve as paths along 

 which ants were to travel from the infected sub- 

 stances to the grapes. Some apparatus were 

 left without insects. The result was, where insects 

 had been introduced the grapes developed yeasts, 

 moulds and bacteria ; but where they had not 

 been introduced the grapes remained unaffected. 

 Ants, flies, etc., may therefore be considered as 

 important agents in the diffusion of ferments. 



Stigeoclonium. — Mr. C. E. Britton, of 189, 

 Beresford Street, Camberwell, gives some results 

 of his investigations on the life-history of Stigeo- 

 clonium. He says: "The autumn and spring 

 months seem very favourable for observing an 

 important event in the life-history of this alga of 

 freshwater, namely, increase by production of 

 zoospores. More than once have I had the good 

 fortune to be examining species of Stigeoclonium 

 when these were preparing for asexual repro- 

 duction. The process of the liberation of the 

 zoospores is interesting in the extreme, and the 

 subsequent behaviour of these erratic bodies a 

 matter to marvel at. The filaments and branches 

 about to produce zoospores have their cell-walls 

 very much swollen and exceedingly transparent, 

 and the green cell contents are contracted in 

 the centre. Each cell gives rise to a single zoo- 

 spore, which, when ready to leave the the parent 

 ■cell, lies against the wall and protrudes a finger-like 

 portion through a small aperture in the wall. The 

 protruding portion, comparatively small at first, 

 rapidly increases in size and becomes globular. At 

 one time the zoospore resembles the shape of an 

 hour-glass, a globular portion outside being con- 

 nected by a narrow band to a globular portion 

 within the cell-wall. The external part of the 

 zoospore still increases in size, whilst that within 

 the cell decreases, and the few remaining chlorophyll 

 bodies can be seen to pass quickly through the open- 

 ing in the cell-wall and along the connecting-band, 

 ■into the free part of the zoospore, after which the 

 ■remainder of the zoospore is withdrawn from the cell 

 and the whole assumes an ovoid shape. After being 

 momentarily quiescent, the zoospore rolls over a 

 few times in the direction of its longer axis, and 

 then darts off on a brief period of activity. Some- 

 times the last part of the zoospore seems to have a 

 difficulty in passing through the aperture in the 

 cell-wall, and the free portion sways to and fro, 

 liberating the latter part, and then the zoospore 

 swims away with a narrow tail-like part trailing 

 from the rear. By careful focussing, the anterior 

 •part of the zoospore is seen to be colourless, and a 

 red ' eye-spot ' is discernible. When a little 

 iodine solution is introduced beneath the cover- 

 glass, the zoospores are killed and stain a deep 

 brown, and the propelling organs can be seen as 

 four colourless spreading cilia about as long as the 

 zoospore." 



Answers to Correspondents : — J .B. (Cardiff) : 

 We know nothing of his preparations. He issues 

 monthly or quarterly printed notes. Jersey would 

 be sufficient. — S. P. B. (Birmingham) : Thanks 

 for information ci; " Microscopical Studies." We 

 would suggest the "Exchange" column for the 

 set you speak of. — H. P. and others : Please see 

 paragraph under " Microscopical Studies " in this 

 issue. — C. F. G. (Kirton) : Many thanks for article. 

 It was too late for last issue. Always glad to 

 hear from you. — Rev. H. W. Lett : We have sub- 

 mitted the object sent to several able micro- 

 scopists, but they are not prepared to say more 

 ahan it is not a vegetable growth. 



Joseph William Dunning. — Had there never 

 been a Mr. Dunning, it is possible the present 

 position of the Entomological Society of London 

 might have been very different. To him the Society 

 owes not only its incorporation, but, perhaps, 

 its existence. It was not always that the Entomo- 

 logical Society flourished as successfully as now. 

 There have been in its history critical periods, 

 when doubts existed as to the possibility of 

 weathering the bad times, and when large deficits 

 met the annual audits. Few men have been more 

 staunch than was Mr. Dunning to that Society ; 

 for during most of its career, whenever the pinch 

 of necessity came, there appeared also its benefactor 

 with open purse-strings, ever ready to give it a 

 fresh start. Perhaps it will never be known how 

 much he spent in its aid, but his gifts have been 

 termed munificent, for his help was extended largely 

 to the library, as well as to its executive expenses. 

 He was but a boy, barely sixteen years old, when he 

 first joined the Entomological Society, having been 

 born in 1833. His father was a solicitor of Leeds, in 

 Yorkshire, and he the only son. As a youth Dun- 

 ning spent much time on the collection of butterflies 

 and moths, and though he retained his love for them 

 he never became a scientific entomologist in the 

 modern sense. His tastes rather ran to the academic 

 side of his favourite science than otherwise. We 

 are not aware that Dunning ever wrote much on 

 entomology, his chief claims resting upon a most 

 useful work which sadly needs re-editing and bring- 

 ing up-to-date. We refer to " An Accentuated List 

 of the British Lepidoptera," which was published, 

 by John Van Voorst in 1S5S ; its issue was largely 

 due to Dunning's compilation and financial aid. 

 That work contained also hints on the derivation of 

 the scientific names then applied to the British but- 

 terflies and moths. The Entomological Societies of 

 Oxford and Cambridge were responsible for the 

 accuracy of the " Accentuated List " ; the respective 

 councils for the year being for Oxford, H. Adair 

 Pickard, M. A. Matthews, E. Stowe, C. E. Kemp, 

 J. O. Westwood, and J. T. D. Llewelyn; for 

 Cambridge, Chas. Cardale Babington, F. Barlow, 

 T. Brown, J. W. Dunning, and A. F. Sealy. Alas, 

 how few of them remain with us. When young 

 Dunning left school he went to Cambridge and 

 became a Fellow of Trinity College in 1858. In 

 1861 he was called to the Bar, and at one time 

 enjoyed an extensive chamber practice as an 

 authority on the law of rights of way and high- 

 ways, as well as a conveyancer and equity 

 draughtsman. His career was unfortunately cut 

 short in 1S92 by a stroke of paralysis from which 

 he never really recovered. Mr. Dunning was the 

 Secretary of the Entomological Society from 1862 

 to 1871, then repeatedly a Vice-President, and 

 President in 18S3 and 1884. His life's contribution 

 to science was rather that of a rich man than of a 

 worker. Such contributions are equally useful 

 to those of the savants ; for without such support 

 few scientific bodies could hold together in their 

 earlier periods of existence. Mr. Dunning died 

 suddenly on October 15th last. — J.T.C. 



