1912] CURRENT LITERATURE 523 
chemistry, and toxicology. The first part is devoted to descriptions of the 
es, 
phailoides is recognized as a very variable species. Good descriptions are 
given of these species and of the varieties of A. phalloides, and the determina- 
tion of the species is further aided by colored illustrations, including the Ameri- 
can varieties which are copied from PEck’s Report. Not all students may 
agree with FERRY in his treatment of these species, but it is doubtful if anyone 
can at present, or even in thé near future, limit and characterize the s pecies 
of Amanita in a manner which will be acceptable to all. The author’s object, 
however, is not so much to limit precisely the natural species as it is to present 
characters and illustrations by which the deadly species of this genus may be 
recognized by those who have little technical knowledge of the fungi. 
The second part, covering more than 70 pages, is a thorough discussion of 
the recent work, in Europe and America, on hee: chem agai and toxicology of 
these three species, ie dancga of A. phalloides. There are two important 
toxic principles. Phalline (KoBERT) 0 ae Scadteine’ (Forp) is 
a hemolytic agent ay dissolves the ate blood corpuscles. Its chemical 
nature is uncertain (ForD), but temperatures of 65—70° C. destroy it, so that 
thorough cooking renders this poison innocuous. The other toxic principle is 
*Amanita-toxine” (Forp), which is not destroyed by heat, and for which no 
antidote is known. Its chemical nature is unknown. emolysine is found in 
certain of the edible fungi, for example Amanita ei and this emphasizes 
the necessity of thorough cooking of all mushrooms. There is a thorough 
discussion of the symptoms of poisoning by these toxins, treatment, pre- 
cautionary measures, experiments on immunization, etc. The wor! 
valuable one for those interested in the determination of these poisonous 
species, and particularly for the physician, pharmacist, etc.—G. F. ATKINSON. 
urassic cones.—NATHORST” has described two new species of t 
Jurassic cone-impression known as Cycadocarpidium, has established aaa 
its identity with the leaf-genus Podozamites, and has discussed the relationship 
of this interesting gymnosperm. The leaves (Podozamites) are linear or ellip- 
tical, and seem, in certain species at least, to be borne on definite short shoots. 
The sporophylls (Cycadocarpidium) are much like the Se enti and 
are arranged in loose cones. Each sporophyll bears at its base ovules, 
with pointed, winglike appendages. Cycadocarpidium, at first bie to be 
the fructification of a cycad related to the Zamieae, is considered by the author 
as a possible connecting form between cycadophytes and conifers. A fuller 
knowledge of both the vegetative and reproductive structures of the plant, 
however, lends little support to the theory of its cycadean affinity, and it seems 
2 Natnorst, A. G., Uber die Gattung Cycadocarpidium usearci ge 
einigen Bemerkungen ther Podozamites. Kungl. Svensk. Vetensk. Handl. 4 
i 
