1910] BRIEFER ARTICLES 219 
been made, monoecious prothallia were observed. The prothallia con- 
tinued to grow for ten to eleven weeks and developed many adventitious 
outgrowths bearing antheridia. Young sporophytes were also developed. 
In summing up, therefore, it may be said: monoecious prothallia, as 
well as dioecious prothallia, were observed in soil cultures; monoecious 
prothallia were obtained from “female” prothallia transferred at a ten- 
celled stage from distilled water to KNop’s solution; monoecious prothallia 
were obtained by transferring ‘‘female” prothallia from the soil to a nutri- 
tive solution; they were also obtained by transferring prothallia from one 
nutritive solution to another. 
The experimental work of this paper was done in the botanical labora- 
tory of the University of Michigan. I wish to express my indebtedness to 
Dr. C. H. Kaurrman, who suggested the problem and under whose guid- 
ance and inspiration the work was carried on.—E.izABETH DoroTHy 
Wurst, University of Michigan. 
CECIDOLOGY IN AMERICA 
Botanists are usually interested in the malformation of plants, and some 
of the earliest literature contains references to these abnormal structures. 
However, cecidology is one of the latest of the biological sciences to be 
developed. The literature is so involved with other branches of biology 
that only those who have given special attention to the subject can have 
a very clear conception of the dimensions of modern cecidology and the: 
character of its problems. The entomologists have given far more attention 
to the subject, in both Europe and America, than any other group of 
scientists. For this reason many have come to consider cecidology as a 
ranch of entomology, while as a matter of fact the entomologist has much 
Steater interest in the insects than in the galls. 
Cecidology now includes all hypertrophies caused by specific organisms, 
as insects, nematodes, fungi, and bacteria. It has been suggested that the 
term “‘gall,” which has been in use since the sixteenth century, be discon- 
tinued and the word cecidium be substituted; also that the structures caused 
by these different organisms be designated as diptero-cecidia, phyto-cecidia, 
nemato-cecidia, myco-cecidia, etc. Some writers have been inclined to 
include that very much confused and mysterious class of diseases known 
as teratology under the head of cecidology, and there appears to be no 
conclusive argument as to why it should or should not be so considered. 
The early literature is so thoroughly involved with other subjects as to 
be practically unavailable to the general students, many valuable references 
