344 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



of Funaria, in which the protoplasm was by means of plasmolysis 

 severed into parts, it was only the segment which retained the 

 nucleus which was capable of completely restoring the cell : the 

 other fraction remains living for weeks, but although such seg- 

 ments of Zygnema form uo new cell-wall and do not grow in 

 length, they are nevertheless assimilative and accumulate much 

 starch. He states that the physiological role of the nucleus is as 

 yet wholly unknown. It is well to note that in cultures like those 

 detailed by Klebs it is advantageous to add to the liquid one- 

 tenth of one per cent of potassium chromate in order to prevent 

 the appearance of destructive fungi in the nutrient solution. 



Janse of Leyden has published interesting studies' made at 

 the Zoological Station at Naples, in much the same field, the dif- 

 ference being chiefly that he employed salt-water algae. (Botan. 

 Centralbl., xxxii, p. 21.) 



Haberlandt (Ber. deutsch. botan. Gesellsch., v, 205) has exam- 

 ined the position of the nucleus in certain vegetable cells, and 

 concludes that in most cells whose walls show a localized thick- 

 ening or an increase of surface, the nucleus is in close proximity 

 to the active portion. He finds further, that from any given 

 wood-parenchyma cell only one thylle developes, and this on the 

 side where the nucleus lies and where a duct is in contact: the 

 nucleus is transferred to the thylle. The author has also studied 

 to some extent the behavior of the nucleus in sevei'ed threads of 

 Vaucheria. His observations, made independently of those of 

 Klebs, have led him to about the same conclusions. 



Zacharias (Botan. Centralbl., xxxii, 59) has re-examined the 

 relations of the nucleus to its surrounding protoplasm, and finds 

 that the latter does not enter the nucleus when division is taking 

 place, but that there is always a distinct demarcation between the 

 two. 



Zopf has detected in the spores (conidia) of Podosp>hcera oxy- 

 acanthce, granules hitherto undescribed. For them he proposes 

 the name of Fibrosin-granules, and states that they probably con- 

 stitute a portion of the reserve matters. g. l. g. 



III. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 



1. Beitrage zur Geophysik : Abharidlungen aus dem geograph- 

 ischen Seminar der Universitat Strassburg, herausgegeben von 

 Prof. Dr. Geoeg Gerland. 1 Band. 373 pp., 8vo. Stuttgart, 

 1887. (E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagshaudlung, E. Koch.) — This 

 volume forms the first of a series to be published at intervals, 

 perhaps yearly, as the material accumulates. It contains papers 

 by the members of the geographical Seminar of the Strassburg 

 University, and speaks well for the activity of a teacher who can 

 inspire his pupils to accomplish such results. The introduction 

 by the editor is an interesting and comprehensive discussion of 

 the scientific scope of Geography, its various departments, and 

 its relation to the kindred sciences of geology, anthropology, etc. 



