758 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Asterolampra (35 species), Asteromphalus (24 species), Liradiscus 
(7 species), Porodiscus (9 species), Thaumatonema (2 species), and Peponia 
(1 species). Stelladiscus is separated from Asterolampra by the different 
appearance of the compartments and rays. 
j8. Schizomycetes. 
New Schizomycetes.* — Prof. A. Hansgirg describes two new genera 
of Schizomycetes : — Mycacanthococcus, in which the cells, in the encysted 
condition, have their membrane covered with spiny or watery pro- 
tuberances, comparable to GlocMococcus among Schizophyceae. Micro - 
tetraedron occurs in roundish quadrilateral isolated cells, with a long, 
colourless, conical spine at each corner; it resembles Tetraedron or 
Polyedrum among Schizophycese. 
The following new species are also described : — Crenothrix marina, 
LeptotJirix subtilissima , Bacillus fenestralis , and Leucocystis fenestralis , on 
the windows of greenhouses ; and the following on damp walls in wine- 
cellars, — Cladotbrix cellaris, Bacillus Pfefferi , Sarcina cellaris , Ascococcus 
cellaris , Myothece urothece, Leucocystis schizocystis, L. urococcus , Mycacan- 
thococcus cellaris, Mycotetraedron cellare, and Micrococcus oinophilus. 
Bacillus Pfefferi occurs as motionless rods imbedded in a greyish- 
yellow mucilage on the damp walls of an underground wine-cellar. 
When exposed to light and a sufficiently high temperature, it passes 
into a motile condition, but without any formation of cilia ; in this 
respect it differs from Spirochsete. The author regards the movements 
of this organism, of B. megaterium, B. Zopjii, Beggiatoa, and Spirochsete , 
as of a similar character, and to be dependent on similar causes, to 
those of the Oscillariacese, 
Hansgirg regards Mycacanthococcus and Mycotetraedron as true 
Schizomycetes, belonging, along with Crenothrix, Leuconostoc, and other 
genera, to the arthrosporous section, which he treats as an intermediate 
group between the Algae (Schizophyceae) and the endosporous Schizo- 
mycetes, and proposes for them the term Mycophyce.®, in contrast to 
the Eubacteriaceae. It will include the Crenotrichaceae, Leptotrichaceae, 
Myconostocaceae, and Mycococcaceae. Between these and the Mycophyceae 
or Cyanophyceae there are various transitional forms, while none are at 
present known between the latter and the chlorophyll-green algae or 
Chlorophyllophyceae. 
New Bacillar Disease of Plants. t — MM. E. Prillieux and G. Dela- 
croix find the stem of potatoes from various parts of France attacked by 
a gangrene, which appears to be caused by the presence of enormous 
quantities of a bacillus in the diseased cells. A similar malady also 
attacks the Pelargoniums, and the disease can be infected from one of 
these plants to the other. The authors propose for the microbe the 
specific name Bacillus caulivorus ; it measures about 1*5 p in length, 
and from 0*33 to 0*5 p in diameter. It is decidedly smaller than the 
B. Hyacinthi, which produces a similar disease in the hyacinth, but may 
be identical with Comes’ Bacterium gummis. 
* SB. K. Bohra. Gesell. Wiss., 1890, pp. 20-31 (1 pi.), 
f Comptes Rendus, cxi. (1890) pp. 208-10. 
