206 
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the arterioles are everywhere dilated, the intravascular tension 
lowered, and the blood-current uniformly retarded. Exactly similar 
phenomena may be produced by destroying the cerebro-spinal axis, 
and so paralyzing the vasomotor nerves. But why does the lymph, 
after its escape from the vessels, accumulate in the serous and 
lymphatic cavities ? Why does it not make its way back into the 
current of the circulation ? For this there are two reasons : first, the 
paralysis of the voluntary muscles, whose contractions are largely 
instrumental in the onward propulsion of the lymph ; secondly, the 
iarrest of the lymphatic hearts. As the effects of the poison pass off, 
these causes cease to operate, and the exuded constituents of the 
blood return to their normal home within the vessels. 
Cause of a Disease in Gahbages. — A recent writer says that whilst 
seeking for the cause of the swellings which occur so often in the roots 
of the cabbage tribe and injure their growth, Herr Woronin found a 
fungus in the parenchyme cells. He describes it, when young, as a 
plasmic body with a lively motion. After a time it settles down and 
grows ; " the granules of the plasma collect into small bodies lying 
close together, and form a round mass covered with a membrane." 
These are spore-cells,' and as the plant rots, " zoospores or small 
amoebae escape from the fungus, and, penetrating young sound rootlets, 
cause fresh plasmic bodies to be formed in their parenchyme cells." 
When seed from healthy plants was sown in soil containing the 
decaying matter of sick plants, and wetted with water containing the 
fungus spores, the fresh plants were attacked, and their roots exhibited 
the characteristic swellings. M. Woronin supposes this fungus to 
belong to the Mucedines or the " Chytrideneen." * 
The Germination ofChara. — The * Academy ' (August 28) says that 
in the ' Botanische Zeitung ' Professor de Bary has recently contri- 
buted an exhaustive article on the germination of the Characece in 
general. In the main the results of his researches confirm Pring- 
sheim's views, as published in 1864,*f especially with regard to the 
nature of the pro-embryo, which is not a direct prolongation of the 
oospore, but the outgrowth of one of two divisions of the latter 
equal in all respects at the time of partition, though subsequently 
exhibiting a different development. The direction and nature of the 
earlier divisions, formation of nodes, appearance and development of 
adventitious pro-embryos and roots, &c., are fully described and 
illustrated. But it is impossible to epitomise an article of this 
nature, or rather the article itself is unintelligible without the accom- 
panying figures. It contains, however, some additional notes on 
parthenogenesis in the genus Chara, which, the author asserts, is 
established beyond doubt. 
* " Uer Naturforsclier," No. 24, 1875, cited from ' Botanische Zeitung,' 1875, 
No. 20. 
t ' Jabrbuch fur Wissenscliaftliche Botanik.' 
