RECENT AMERICAN NOMENCLATURE 123 



nation by careful cultures proved that these were chiefly a form of 

 Bacillus coli, B. calfactor, n. sp., and Oidium lactis. These three 

 were the characteristic micro -organ isms causing the fermentation 

 of the hay, but others were more or less constant, and they also 

 were isolated and cultivated, Actinomyces thermophilic occurred in 

 great abundance, as white specks and streaks on grass still fresh 

 and full of sap. Thennomyces lanuginosus appeared when the tem- 

 perature was at the highest point. Thermoascus aurantiacus, n. g., 

 n.sp., showed itself as tiny yellow specks, also on strongly heated 

 hay ; it is one of the lower Ascomycetes, characterized by a group 

 of hyphee and oval-shaped asci, which somewhat resemble those of 

 Gymnoascus, but there is in Thermoascus a pseudoparenchymatous 

 peridium. It also is a thermophil fungus, and grows only at high 

 temperatures. Other fungi that were frequently found were Asjier* 

 gillus fumigatus, not exclusively thermophil, but growing best at 

 blood-heat ; Mucor pusillus, which requires considerable warmth to 

 induce vigorous growth ; M. corymbifer, occasionally met with in 

 laboratory cultures or on diseased bodies, though its true habitat is 

 now proved to be heated plant remains. Most of these thermophil 

 bacilli and fungi are more or less pathogenic, some of them danger- 

 ously so. It is a new discovery that they are thus constantly being 

 generated in nature. Miehe is of opinion that manure heaps and 

 plant remains may be the hot-beds of other bacilli, and that tuber- 

 culosis in animals may be propagated in this way. 



Other chapters are devoted to self- sterilization : it was found 

 that the organisms died off completely. The reason of this has not 

 been satisfactorily demonstrated. The fermentation of tobacco, 

 respiration, heat, &c, are also discussed at some length. Dr. 

 Miehe has made a valuable and interesting contribution to bacte- 

 riology, fungology, and agriculture; and the carefully tabulated 

 experiments and illustrations enhance the value of his work. 



A. L. S. 



Recent American Nomenclature. 



The eleventh volume of " Contributions from the United States 

 National Herbarium " issued last October is devoted to a Flora of 

 the State of Washington by Prof. C. V. Piper, and is the result of 

 his study of the plants of that State during a period of twenty 

 years. It is a handsome book of 637 pages, with numerous 

 illustrations showing aspects of vegetation, and is evidently exe- 

 cuted with great care. The introductory matter contains brief 

 biographies of the principal " botanical explorers of Washington'' ; 

 some of the statements as to the whereabouts of collections require 

 modification— £. g. Scouler's plants are not at the British Museum 

 but at Dublin, and the most complete set of Douglas's plants is in 

 the National Herbarium at the British Museum, not at Kew. 



We regret however to observe that Prof. Piper owns no allegi- 

 ance to the Eules promulgated by the Vienna Congress, but "aims 

 to follow the recently proposed Philadelphia Code." This seemed 

 to us a new authority, but Prof. Piper informs us that it is the 



