NATURE OF THE LOWEST SPECIES OF PLANTS, 
97 
small intervening membranous spaces as far 
as the first convolution within the sternum; 
but the returning portion of the tube, forming 
a second convolution, is composed of broader 
and stronger bony rings, with wider intervals. 
The course of the trachea within the sternum 
differs from that of the hooper, after descend- 
ing by the neck it passes backwards within 
the keel, and between the two plates of the 
back bone to the depth of six inches, then 
curving horizontally and slightly inclining 
upwards, returns at first by the side of and 
afterwards over the first inserted portion near 
two thirds of the whole distance. A second 
curve of this returning portion is then sudden- 
ly elevated two inches above the line of the 
superior surface of the keel, and traverses the 
interior of a hollow circular protuberance on 
the dorsal surface of the sternum itself. The 
usual ascending curve of the trachea then 
takes place, by which the tube, ultimately 
receding, grains the interior cavity of the 
breast. The bronchiae are two inches long. 
Such are the peculiarities which characterize 
this new species. 
TWO SPECIES OF LEUCISCUS. OR 
DACE FAMILY OF FISH, ARE DES- 
CRIBED BY MR. YARRELL, ONE OF 
MHICH, L. LANCASTRIENSIS, WAS 
MERELY NOTICED BY MR. PEN- 
NANT AS LIKELY J O BE NEW UN- 
DER THE NAME OF GRAINING. IT 
IS MORE SLENDER THAN THE 
DACE. — In the latter the length is to the 
depth as 4 to 1, but in the graining as 5 to 1. 
The head and back are of a pale drab colour, 
tinged with red ; irides, yellowish-white; the 
fins pale jellowish-white. In the dace the 
back and sides yellowish olive-coloured, tinged 
with blue ; lower fins pale red, with a smaller 
number of fin rays in some fins, in others less. 
It occurs in a stream which rises in Knowsly 
Park, in the Mersey and in the Alt. L, 
elongatus, pinna dorsali supra pinnas ven- 
trales posita, caudali profunde biloba, capitis 
lateribus supra subparallelis ore parvo, dorso 
lateribusque superne subrufescenti, isabellinis 
inferne ventreque argenteis. 
The other species, L ccdruleiis is quite new. 
He gives it the English name of Azurine. Its 
depth is to its length as 7 to 2, resembling the 
red eyexu. shape, but is easily distinguished 
from that species by the silvery whiteness of 
the abdomen, which in the red eye is of a bril- 
liant golden orange, and also by its white fins, 
which in the other are vermillion. L ovato- 
lanceolatus, pinna dorsali pone pinnas ven- 
trales posita, dorso pluinbeo, ventre argenteo, 
pinnis albis. 
B 3 D 10 P 16 V 9 A 12 C 19. 
MR. GUlLDING~OBSERVES THAT 
THE NATICIDAL FORM A VERY DIS- 
TINCT EAMILY FROM THE NERITI- 
DAE. — The former are apparently blind, the 
operculum has no appendages ; their useless 
tentacula are weak and turned back on the 
shell, while in the act of creeping the head 
and its organs are perfectly veiled by a broad 
expended hood, the sensible contractile apex 
of which serves to guide its motions, at first 
sight they rather resemble the Bullidae. 
He describes and figures two species of 
Dentalium, viz. D Semistiolatum, and D 
Sowerbyi. A^ery little is known with regard 
to this genus. M. Deshayes had previously 
thrown some light on its history, but its posi- 
tion in the natural sptem is not yet made out. 
Mr. Guilding isinclined to place it near pa- 
tellae. It resembles in its vent the genus 
fissurella, in its apical fissure the posterior 
marginal rima of emarginula, — Records of 
Science, 1835, 
OBSERVATIONS ON THE FORMATION 
AND CHANGES OF THE INFERIOR 
ORDERS OFPLANTS By F. J. Kutzing.^ 
The nature of the lowest species of plants is 
a subject of interest. M. Kutzing, from many 
observations which he has made upon them, 
has drawn some important results. 
Distilled water remained stationary for six 
months, without -shewing any appearance of 
green matter on its surface. Water which had 
been distilled over plants presented a diJferent 
aspect. 
In some of them a mucus began to shew 
itself in the course of eight ^ays;in rosewater 
in about two weeks. First the mucus is depo- 
sited, and the characteristic odour of the water 
disappears, Henee, this mucilage would ap- 
pear to be formed at the expense of the essen- 
tial oil. No filaments or globules can be dis- 
covered at this stage ; but if the water is less 
exposed to the dire ct influence of the sun, they 
appear at first colourless in the mucous mass, 
and then the different forms of Hygrocrocis 
and Leptomitus shew themselves. This con- 
stitutes the second step; the light of the sun 
determining whether Protococus or Hygrocro- 
cis shall be developed. The lowest state of 
these globules is well exhibited in the genus 
established by Kutzmg, of Vryptococcus which 
is inferior to Protococcus ; for in the former 
the organic mucus is only observed in the form 
of minute globules, while in the latter, they are 
larger and possess colour with a more solid 
texture. The third step is the formation of 
filaments, by the union or elongation of the 
colourless globule.s, giving origin to Hygrocrocis 
orLeptomitus.The Leplumrda is an advanced i 
state of Cryptococcus. The latter is formed 
in moist windows. Kutzing has observed the 
formation of an Oscillatoiia which he calls 
fenestralis, over a stratum of Cryptococcus, 
which previously became a Pulmella. If we 
term the transformaticn of Cryptococcus into 
Hygrocrocis eixiid Leptomitus a. direct progres- 
sive step, w^e may call that of Cryptococcus into 
Pabnella and , Protococcus, latterally progres- 
sive,^ 
It is worthy of remark, that the Protococcus 
is often found in dry places, for it seems that 
itnever appears in water except when the sun 
is shining on it, and the Hygrocrocis and Lep- 
tomitus appear in the shade. It has been ob- 
served that the algae (algues) are formed after 
the death of the Jnfusorii, especially the 
Enchelys pulvisculus. When the water in 
* Ann. des Scien. Nat. II. 129. 
