1910] CURRENT LITERATURE 75 
ferments of various fungi. The results constitute a number of detached facts 
not readily summed up in a review; however, some of the main points may be 
noted. The press-extract of some of the fungi was found to be incapable of 
splitting any of the sugars used, while the residue was found capable of active 
fermentation, showing that the ferments in these cases are incapable of being 
separated from the rest of the cell by the Buchner process. In the case of Asper- 
gillus Wentii, both the extract and the residue fermented cane sugar, milk sugar, 
maltose, cellobiose, and raffinose. It is of special interest to note that some of 
the fungi were able to utilize as food disaccharides, which neither the expressed 
juice nor the residue were able to ferment. These sugars were probably assim- 
ilated directly. The behavior of raffinose varied with different fungi. With 
Aspergillus Wentii this sugar was split into d-glucose, d-fructose, and d-galactose. 
In five other cases it was split into d-fructose and melibiose, and in three cases 
into d-galactose and cane sugar.—H. HasSELBRING. 
The ring and cell wall of Oedogonium.—According to VAN WISSELINGH,°° the 
cell wall of Oedogonium consists of two distinct layers; the outer containing 
little cellulose, but a large proportion of a characteristic membrane-forming 
material whose reactions are described, but whose chemical composition was not 
determined; while the inner wall is rich in cellulose and has a lamellate structure. 
The outer layer is lacking in the basal cell. The ring is a portion of the cell wall 
which arises by the intussusception of vari b forming materials, among 
which cellulose is prominent, especially in the centripetal portion. The rupture 
of the old wall and the stretching of the ring to form a new wall is about as usually 
described. The inner cellulose layer of the wall arises by apposition. The 
chemical tests and the observations are satisfactory so far as they go, but the 
Subject is a much described and much discussed one, and it would seem that 
an investigator acquainted with technic, as VAN WISSELINGH is, could have 
advanced our knowledge much farther by adding a study of carefully stained 
sections. —CHARLES J. CHAMBERLAIN. 
Anatomy of Saxegothaea.—T Ison" has investigated the vascular anatomy 
of Saxegothaea conspicua, especially that of the ovulate strobilus. This genus 
has received much attention recently (NoREN, STILES, THOMSON), and investi- 
gators have been impressed by its suggestion of araucarian affinities. TISON con- 
cludes, from the behavior and distribution of the two systems of bundles found 
In the megasporophyll (one serving the sporophyll and the other the ovule), that 
Saxeogothaea is more nearly related to the araucarians than to the podocarps, but 
that through Microcachrys it is so definitely connected with the latter that the 
araucarians, Saxegothaea, and the podocarps should constitute a single group, 
es 
3° WIssELINGH, C. vAN, Ueber den Ring und die Zellwand bei Oedogonium. 
Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 23:1 57-190. pls. 13-16.. 1908. 
3t Tison, A., Sur le Saxegothaea Lndl. Mém. Soc. Linn. Normandie 23: 139-160. 
bls. 9, 10. 19 
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