624 
Palaeontologie. — Microscopie. — Algae. 
Benson, M., On the Contents of the pollen chamber of a 
specimen of Lagenostoma ovoides. (Bot. Gaz. XLV. p. 409—412. 
taf. 1, 2. 1908.) 
The author describes and figures certain bodies found in the 
pollen chamber of a specimen of Lagenostoma ovoides from the 
Coal Measures of Dulesgate, England. These bodies are inter- 
preted as the antherozoids of this Pteridosperm and are held to 
furnish evidence of the great antiquity of the cycad type of male 
gamete. ' Berry. 
Berry, E. W., A Miocene Flora from the Virginia Coastal 
Pia in. (Journ. of Geology XVII. p. 19—30. taf. 1 —11. 1909.) 
The author describes the discovery of a small miocene flora in 
the diatomaceous beds at Richmond, Virginia (Calvert formation). 
Fourteen species are described including new forms in Quercus, 
Ficus, Podogonium, Dalbergia, Nyssa and Fraxinus and it is shown 
that the miocene coast at this time was skirted with cypress swamps 
much as is the South Atlantic coast at the present, day. Berry. 
Faulet, L., Sur un nouveau perfectionnement apporte au 
microtome ä main de Ranvier. (Bull. Soc. roy. bot. de Bel- 
gique. 1908. XLV. fase. 2. p. 331—334. avec fig.) 
Peltrisot avait imagine d’adapter une griffe, destinee ä compri- 
mer la moelle, sur la tige ä vis. Paulet la remplace par une douille, 
ce qui presente de nombreux avantages. II a aussi muni le microtome 
d’un declic avertissant l’operateur lorsqu’il a tourne la vis de la 
douzieme partie d’une rotation complete. Henri Micheels. 
Minakata, K., An Alga growing on Fish. (Nature. LXXIX. 
p. 99. 1908.) 
Mr. Minakata, having seen in “Nature” for April 18. 1907 a 
record of occurrence of the green alga, Myxonema tenue Rabenh., 
growing luxuriantly upon goldfish in a pond, describes a similar 
occurrence in the case of some diminutive fish ( Haplochilus latipes 
Schleg.) captured in a tiny pool in the Asso marsh near Tanabe, 
Kii, Japan. The tufts of alga were 1 cm. long and were attached 
to the underside of the fish. The alga is referred by Mr. George 
Massee to the same species, Myxonema tenue; and associated 
with it is a species of the desmid Euastrum. E. S. Gepp. 
Nadson, G. A., Rhodosphaerium difßuens, ein neuer Mikroorga¬ 
nismus aus dem Kaspischen Meere. (Bull. jard. imp. bot. St. 
Petersbourg. 1908. VIII. 5/6. p. 113—121. Mit 1 färb. Tafel. — Rus¬ 
sisch mit deutschen Resume.) 
Der neuentdeckte Organismus lebt und entwickelt sich normal 
im dunkeln (schwarzen) Schlamme bei Abwesenheit des Sauerstoffes 
der Luft oder bei einem minimalen Quantum desselben. In der Luft 
(also auf der freien Schlammoberfläche tritt in der Entwicklung 
beinahe völliger Stillstand ein. Er ist ein xerophiler Mikrob, enthält 
Chlorophyll (wie etwa Chlorobium limicola) und steht an der 
Grenze zwischen-Algen und Bakterien. Der in Alkohol 
