eae a oes ea ig a ee et 
1912] CURRENT LITERATURE 445 
only in advanced stages of cell GEE and not during the mycoplasma 
stage. ERIKSSON also fails to find ‘‘hyphae”’ in the disorganizing nucleus, but 
believes the structures interpreted as such by Cana to be chromatin threads. 
A paper by Brauverte® relates to the “plasmanucleoli’”’ described by 
ERIKSSON. BEAUVERIE finds. in the cells of fungi certain granules stainable 
with basic dyes, which he terms ‘“‘corpuscules métachromatiques.”’ In wheat 
plants attacked by rust he finds similar bodies in the mycelium, and in the host 
cells in the regions invaded by the fungus, but not in the normal cells. These 
granules he identifies with the plasmanucleoli of Errksson. Just how givin 
these bodies a new name would, in itself, invalidate ErrKssON’s interpretation 
or constitute a new interpretation is not easy to see 
The solution of the problem which gave rise to the mycoplasma theory 
probably lies in the direction suggested by the recent work of PRITCHARD’ on 
rust-infected grain seeds. PrircHarp finds that rust-infected wheat seeds, to 
which little attention has been given from this viewpoint, contain living 
u 
the fungus resumes its activity with the growth of the seedling, and penetrates 
both the stem and root of the young plant. It also grows in the spaces between 
the leaf sheaths. The formation of new uredo pustules from this mycelium 
has not been observed, nor have rusted wheat plants been obtained from 
infected seed grain under conditions rigorously excluding external infection.— 
H. HassELBRING. 
ermatogenesis in Bryophytes.—Wuttson® has completed his studies 
of spermatogenesis in Mnium hornum and also has investigated spermatogenesis 
in Atrichum undulatum and Pellia epiphylla. Because of the somewhat 
remarkable statements of J. and W. Docters VAN LEEUWEN-REIJNVAAN that 
centrosomes are constantly present in the spermatogenous cells in several 
species of Polytrichum and Mnium, and that in the ultimate division of these 
cells a reduction takes place whereby the haploid number of chromosomes is 
reduced to half (in Polytrichum to 3, and in Mniwum to 4), these later divisions 
were studied with exceeding care. 
Mnium hornum, in the early stage of the penultimate division in sper- 
matogenesis, a body is cut off by constriction from the nucleolus. In earlier 
divisions of the spermatogenous cells this division of the nucleolus was not 
observed. This body was never discovered outside of the nucleus and soon 
6 BEAUVERIE, J., L’hypothése du mycoplasma et les corpuscules métachroma- - 
tiques. Sine Rend. 152:612-615. 1911. 
7 Pritcuarp, F. J., The wintering of Puccinia graminis Tritici E. & H. and the 
infection a ae through the seed. Phytopathology 1:150-154. pl. 1. fig. I. 1911. 
See also Bor. Gaz. §2:169-192. pl. I. 1911. : 
8 Witson, Matcotm, Spermatogenesis in the Bryophyta. Ann. Botany 25:415- 
457. pls. 37-38. figs. 3. Igtl. 
