Notes . 
653 
limit of the cap. According to Hirn’s theory we should expect the substance of the 
cap to consist of alternating layers of mucilage and cellulose, which is quite evidently 
not the case. The opinion of this latter observer that the central mucilaginous 
portion of the ring f beim Zerreissen der Zellwand von Bedeutung sein durfte/ seems 
very plausible ; and possibly the somewhat aerial conditions under which the 
described Oedogonium was growing did not give the necessary factors (water ?) for 
the swelling of this portion, and consequently for the rupture of the ring. When 
stained with chlor.-zinc-iodine the whole of the cap takes on a blue colour, but I 
could make out no difference in the intensity of colouration of the different parts of the 
cap. Vesuvin stains it dark brown, and in this case it is the main mass of the cap 
which mainly takes on the colour, whilst the cell-membranes are less obviously 
coloured. 
Before concluding, I wish still to say a few words on the cell-contents of these 
abnormal young plants. It has already been mentioned above that the cells presented 
quite a healthy green appearance, but the fact that they are crowded with starch 
grains (Fig. 61 a, b, g) indicates a somewhat abnormal state of affairs. In addition to 
these starch grains, however, many of the cells often contain very large globules of 
a colourless highly refractive substance (Fig. 61 b, g), which is quite unaffected by 
iodine ; usually there are several (as many as four or five) such globules in a cell, but 
at times one may attain such a size that it occupies a large portion of the cell-cavity. 
These globules take on a black colour with osmic acid and undoubtedly consist of 
some kind of fat. I have observed such fat-globules before in other species of 
Oedogonium , but omitted to make a note of it at the time, so that I am unable to say 
in which species. Undoubtedly, however, starch is the normal product of assimilation 
in Oedogonium, and the occasional occurrence of fat side by side with it is not with- 
out parallel in other Algae. 
F. E. FRITSCH. 
University College, London. 
Jime 8, 1904. 
ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF STATOLITHS IN CUCURBITACEAE.— 
In discussing the function of the endodermis Tondera 1 states that in the stems 
of a number of Cucurbitaceous plants he finds scattered starch in the younger 
internodes which are geotropic, and falling starch only in the older internodes which 
no longer respond to gravity. At the suggestion of Mr. Darwin I examined most 
of the species mentioned by Tondera. My results, owing possibly to difference in 
method, do not agree with his. 
Cyclanthera pedata, Momordica Charantia , Sicyos angulata , Thladiantha dubia, and 
Cucurbita Pepo contain, according to T ondera, only scattered starch in their younger 
internodes. In all these plants I find falling starch in both older and younger parts, 
extending quite to the apex, or within 1 cm. of it. Again, Tondera finds no falling 
starch in the apical internodes of Cucumis sativa and Lagenaria vulgaris. I was 
1 Tondera. Beitrag zur Kenntniss des functionellen Werthes d. Starkescheide, Bull. Int. 
de l’Acad. d. Sciences de Cracow, 1903. 
