ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS ON STEPHANOSPERMUM OVOIDES,A MIDDLE PENNSYLVANIAN SEED

Taylor , Thomas N. (U. Illinois, Urbana.) Additional observations on Stephanospermum ovoides, a Middle Pennsylvanian seed. Amer. Jour. Bot. 49(7): 794–800. Illus. 1962.—Recently additional specimens of Stephanospermum ovoides have been discovered in coal-ball material collected at the New Delta Mine, Absher, Williamson County, Illinois. Stephanospermum ovoides is a radially symmetrical ovoid seed, characterized by a low sclerotestal crown and micropylar beak. The species stands intermediate in relation to other members in the genus in its sclerotestal elaboration, which is assumed to be reflected in the size of the crown and mieropylar beak.     

Bioluminescence of Marine Dinoflagellates : I. An underwater photometer for day and night measurements

Portable light-baffled underwater photometers have been designed for the measurement of dinoflagellate bioluminescence by day and night. Maximal light emission is obtained by mechanical stimulation in a defined volume. The pump which stimulates the dinoflagellates also constantly replenishes the sample volume so that continuous measurements are possible. Evidence for both diurnal variation and vertical migration is presented. Using luminous bacteria for calibration a single dinoflagellate has been found to emit of the order of 10¹⁰ light quanta per flash. The technique suggests that large scale mapping of bioluminescence is feasible.     

Local Temperature in Gastric Hypothermia

Measurements of temperatures inside the stomachs of humans by means of thermister probes introduced with the balloon used in cryotherapy indicated that the mucosa does not undergo freezing in this procedure.     

Population parameters, wing production and behaviour in red and greenAcyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Homoptera: Aphididae)

A red strain ofA. pisum produced more alatae, was more fecund, and reproduced more rapidly but did not live as long as a green strain; it was also disturbed more easily, responding only to moist, not dry, currents of air, and it was less active in finding the new growth on bean plants.

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Populations-masstäbe, flügelbildung und verhalten bei roten und grünenAcyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Zusammenfassung Ein roter Stamm vonAcyrthosiphon pisum, der in Südengland gesammelt worden war, wurde mit dem grünen Stamm der Insektizid-Abteilung in Rothamsted verglichen. Die Lebensdauer des roten Stammes war nicht so groß wie die des grünen, aber er produzierte an jungenVicia faba-Pflanzen schneller und mehr Larven als der grüne. Er wurde auch sehr viel leichter gestört. Bei der Prüfung mit einem standardisierten Luftstrom ließen sich die roten Erbsenläuse viel leichter als die grünen von der Pflanze herabfallen. Diese Reaktion konnte nur mit feuchter, nicht aber mit trockener Luft hervorgerufen werden. Wenn sich die Läuse unbeeinflußt auf der Bohnenpflanze verteilen konnten, fanden sich die roten weniger häufig am jungen Zuwachs und die grünen wanderten häufiger von den Pflanzen ab. Der rote Stamm brachte mehr Geflügelte hervor als der grüne. Alle diese Unterschiede waren statistisch signifikant. Es wird vermutet, daß die Unterschiede in der Flügelbildung und der Schreckreaktion eine gemeinsame Ursache in den Schwellenwerten der Berührungsempfindlichkeit besitzen.

     

Isolation of phytochrome from the alga mesotaenium and liverwort sphaerocarpos

Phytochrome has been isolated from the green alga Mesotaenium and the liverwort Sphaerocarpos. The Mesotaenium pigment had absorption peaks at 649 and 710 nm for the P_R and P_FR forms, respectively. Corresponding difference spectrum maxima for the Sphaerocarpos pigment were at 655 and 720 nm. While the absorption maxima differ, the reversibility and efficiency with which red and far-red light transform the Mesotaenium pigment are very similar to that reported for phytochrome isolated from etiolated seedlings of higher plants. Methods are described which allow efficient separation of phytochrome from highly pigmented light-grown material.