118 
stroma is different, it being more prominent, and the epidermis being 
irregularly laciniate-cleft around it. The perithecia soon collapse, so 
that, on stripping off the epidermis, their position is indicate'd by little 
circular concavities around the margin of the stroma. This is closely 
allied to M, Decoramsts^ Ell., but differs in its smaller perithecia and 
narrower appendictdaie sporidia, 
Melanconts (Melanconiella) biansata. — Perithecia circinat- 
ing in a stroma scarcely different from that of the preceding species, 
globose, .75""^' in diameter, soon collapsing, 6-10, their short, cylin- 
drical ostiola with 4-angled or imperfectly cleft tips, united in a 
dirty brown, narrowly elliptical or suborbicular disk, which slightly 
rises and bursts through the epidermis by which it is closely girt; asci 
190-200x300//, evanescent, (Ssporcd?); sporidia oblong-elliptical, 
uniseptate, soon becoming brown, and generally with a short, stout, 
tuberculiform projection at each end, length, without appendage, 35- 
Found on the same limbs with the preceding species. 
Valsa fagicola. — Stroma formed of the scarcely altered sub- 
stance of the bark; perithecia circinating, 10-15, subglobose, mem- 
branaceous^ collapsing (.33"'"'')j abruptly contracted into a slender, 
cylindrical neck about ^Z'^'''''' long, the necks all converging and pierc- 
ing the epidermis in a small, papilliform, black disk; tips obtuse, with a 
rather broad opening; asci (spore-bearing part) 18-20x3/^, at first 
with a convex, hyaline tip which soon disappears, leaving them trun- 
cate above ; (paraphyses ?); sporidia biseriate, cylindrical, hyalme, 
curved, 2.5-3,5x.5-.75/i, 
The asci are arranged in a racemose manner, like those of Valsa 
ciliatulay Fr., of which this might perhaps be considered a small 
form. 
On dead limbs of Fagiis fertuginea. West Chester, Pa., June, 
X882. E. H. J. and G. 
Pinus Banksiana.— The Gardeners Monthly for 1873 gives an 
account of the large size of Finns Banksiana at Marquette and other 
places in the Lake Superior region. Coming across the continent 
from the Pacific coast over tlie Northern Pacific R. R., the first tree 
of the distinctively Atlantic group to meet us is Finns Banksiana. 
At Motley, in Morrison County, Minnesota, the trees seemed to be 
about 40 feet high, and some were 4 feet in circumference. Soon after 
meeting these we came to Finns rigida^ black spruce, white pine and 
tamarack. The forests — if scattered groups of trees might be so 
called — had a comparatively young look, and seemed to tell of ^ 
natural march of forest growth westward. 
rxA 
Mee 
J 
Fern Notes. — Last spring I examined with considerable care the 
development of the prothallia of Struthioptcris Germanica^ and 
found that they were very distinctly dioecious. In about five weeks 
from the time the spores were started tlie first antheridia were 
mature; but it was more than six \s^€^^ later before mature arche- 
gonia were noticed, and these were on diffeient prothallia. The 
