514 MB. D. MORHIS ON THE STJUUCTUEE AND 



also described and figured the germination of the spores and the 



various characters assumed by the mycelial growths. 



The facts elicited during the late coftee-leaf-disease inquiry 



confirm Mr. Abbay's conclusions respecting the structure of the 

 fruit. 



Previous to the appearance of Mr. Abbay's paper, descriptions 

 of the disease had been confined to the character of the fruit and 

 the appearance of the mycelium in the parenchymatous tissue of 

 the leaf immediately beneath. Indeed little more could be done 

 while the examination was confined to dried leaves sent home J 

 from India and Ceylon. Mr. Abbay having resided in Ceylon 

 for some years and been associated with Dr. Thwaites, P.B.S., 

 CM. G-., the distinguished Director of the Botanic Gardens, in his 

 earlier investigations, w r as in a position to give interesting details 

 respecting the nature and habits of the disease. 



The fruit of the Kemileia, as first pointed out by Mr. Abbay, 

 is evidently composed of sporanges ; for not only can the enclosed 

 sporidia or spores be seen, but these bodies, on being sown, gave 

 rise to mycelial growths, each being the product of a single spore. 

 Sometimes the spores escape from the sporange and germinate 

 in the immediate neighbourhood. On examining the sporanges 

 found on an old disease-spot, many of the sporanges are noticed 

 to be turned with the smooth under surface uppermost, and to be 

 entirely, if not quite, empty. 



Mr. Abbay describes and figures the spores as being attached 

 to the inner surface of the sporange. This is quite opposed to the 

 received ideas respecting free-cell formation ; and some care has 

 been bestowed in determining the nature of the so-called attach- 

 ment. When the sporanges are placed in a drop of water between 

 two slips of glass and subjected to pressure, the outer wall is soon 

 ruptured and spores float out. I have never been able to detect 

 that they are in any way attached to the wall of the sporange ; 

 but they appear as globose bodies about one tenth the size ot 

 the latter. 



Dr. M. C. Cooke, in the India-Museum Report, 1876, p. 5, 

 mentions that in specimens from Southern India the wart-like 

 papilhe which cover the outside of the sporange sometimes become 

 detached. From the description and relative size of these bodies 

 given by Dr. Cooke, I am disposed to believe that, in consequence 

 of the imperfect character of the specimens sent to the India 

 Office, Dr. Cooke mistook the spores for the deciduous wart-like 



