566 
SUMMARY OP CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Red Pigment in Mucor.* * * § — M. P. A. Dangeard records the occur- 
rence, in a culture of Mucor racemosus, of an abundant red pigment, in- 
soluble in water and in alcohol, resembling that of Micrococcus prodigio- 
sus. The pigment is in oleaginous globules, or dispersed throughout 
the filaments. 
Syncephalastrum and Syncephalis.t — Mr. R. Thaxter discusses the 
relationship of these two little-known genera of Mucorini, and advo- 
cates the retention of the former as a distinct genus. The zygosperms 
of Syncephalis nodosa are described in detail. Diagnoses are given of 
the following new species : — Syncephalis Wynnese, on Wynnea macrotis ; 
S. pycnosperma, on dung of mice and sheep ; S. tenuis , on Sphagnum. 
Systematic Position of Protomyces.^ — From a study of the de- 
velopment of Protomyces macrosporus, parasitic on various Umbelliferae, 
M. Sappin-Trouflfy rejects all the hypotheses that have) at present been 
proposed with regard to its systematic position, viz. among the Usti- 
lagineee, among the Uredineae, and among the Exoascaceae. The spores 
do not contain two nuclei which subsequently conjugate, like those of 
Entyloma and of the asci of Exoascus ; the nuclei of the spores have a 
totally different origin, viz. from the thallus, and display no phenomenon 
of conjugation. He regards the genus as more nearly allied to the Chy- 
tridineae, and especially to Cladochytrium, where propagation takes place 
by cysts and by sporanges. 
Sexual Reproduction in the Ascomycetes.§ — From a fresh exami- 
nation of the mode of formation of the ascus in Spliserotheca Castagnei, 
M. P. A. Dangeard confirms his previous view of the inaccuracy of 
Harper’s statement || that there is an actual passage of a male reproduc- 
tive nucleus from the antherid into the archegone through an opening in 
the wall of the latter, and a fusion with its nucleus. He finds, on the 
contrary, that the cell which becomes segmented off at the apex of the 
antheridial branch exhibits degeneration of its protoplasmic contents 
from the moment of its segmentation. Nor was he able in any case to 
detect an orifice in the wall of the ascogone. The ascogone has at first 
only a single nucleus, which subsequently divides into two daughter- 
nuclei of equal size. Usually each of these again divides, and two septa 
appear, dividing the ascogone into a middle binucleated and two uni- 
nucleated cells, one at each end. The ascus is always derived from the 
binucleated cell after fusion of the two nuclei. 
Parasitic Fungi. — Under the name Bhizopus necans sp. n., Mr. G. 
Massee IT describes a parasitic fungus very destructive to the bulbs of 
lilies in Japan, but attacking them only when already injured. 
Mr. J. B. S. Norton** describes 33 species of Ustilagineae from Kansas, 
together with the results of experiments on the germination of the 
spores on different host-plants. There are two new species. 
* Le Botaniste (Dangeard), v. (1897) pp. 318-9. 
t Bot. Gazette, xxiv. (1897) pp. 1-15 (2 pis.). 
i Le Botaniste (Dangeard), v. (1897) pp. 285-8 (1 fig.). 
§ Tom. cit., pp. 245-81 (17 figs.). Of. this Journal, 1894, p. 719. 
|| Of. this Journal, 189G, p. 339. 
\\ Bull. Misc. Inform. R. G. Kew, 1897, pp. 87-90 (1 pi.). 
** Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis, vii. pp. 229-41 (5 pis.). 
