104 
8UM1IARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Production of Alcohol in Respiration.* — Herron E. Godlewski and 
F. Polzeniusz have established the production of alcohol in the intra- 
molecular respiration of peas. The process is precisely the same as 
the alcoholic fermentation caused by yeast, the difference being quanti- 
tative only, and not qualitative. In both cases it consists of a simple 
splitting of a carbohydrate into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Up to the 
period when the production of carbon dioxide entirely ceases, about 40 
per cent, of the dried substance of the peas was converted into alcohol 
and carbon dioxide. 
B. CRYPT OGAMIA. 
Cryptogamia Yascularia. 
Development of Marsilia.t — Mr. D. Johnson finds that Marsilia 
(M. quadrifolia ) agrees with most other Leptosporangiates in the origin 
of the leaf, in its growth by a two-sided apical cell, and in the formation 
of the pinnae by the continual activity of the marginal cells in certain 
regions. The sporocarp is developed from the marginal cell of one of 
the lower segments of the apical cell of the leaf. The sporocarp is 
thus a fertile portion or branch of the leaf, but it does not develop any 
structure homologous to the lamina of the sterile portion. The tissue 
surrounding the sori is a true indusium arising by the outgrowth of the 
cells of the ventral surface of the branch ; the microsporanges are 
derived from sister-cells of the megasporange mother-cells, and not from 
segments of the apical cells of the latter. 
Spermatogenesis and Secondary Nucleus in Filicinese and Equi- 
setineae.i — Herr W. Belajeff publishes a contribution, to our knowledge 
of the development of the antherozoids in Filices and Equisetaceae. 
He reasserts his previous statement that the antherozoid is formed 
partly from the nucleus, partly from the cytoplasm. No centrosomes 
could be detected in the poles of the nuclear spindle. The division 
of the internal spermatogenous cells in the antherid of Ferns is accom- 
panied by karyokinetic division of the nucleus. In the protoplasm of 
each spermatogenous cell the author detected a rounded granule which 
took up fuchsin more strongly than the surrounding protoplasm. This 
granule passes through a crescent-shaped stage, and ultimately develops 
into a thread which surrounds the nucleus. This runs along the edge 
of a band which does not stain so strongly, and which is the rudiment 
of the body of the antherozoid. It lies in the protoplasm, and is stained 
bright red by fuchsin. Both bands now take the form of a spiral, on 
which are developed the cilia. During this time changes take place 
also in the form of the nucleus of the spermatogenous cell, which 
ultimately becomes spiral, the posterior end being much thicker than 
the anterior. In the mature antherozoid the posterior part consists of 
a thick spiral chromatin-body surrounded by a thin layer of protoplasm. 
At the posterior end this forms an appendage, while the anterior end 
has a ribbon-like form, and contains the nucleus in its lower portion. 
In the spermatogenesis of the Equisetacem a very similar succession 
* Anzeig. Akad. Wiss. Krakau, 1897, 5 pp. See Bot. Centralbl., 1897, Beih., 
P- 248. t Johns Hopkins Univ. Giro., xvii. (1897) p. 16 (3 figs ). 
+ Eer- Deutsch. Bot. Gesell., xv. (1897) pp. 337-45. 
