88 BOTANICAL INFORMATION, 
cerning the Nostocs and Collemas ; the object of which was to prove the 
identity of structure in both these plants, and that the former, far from 
-constituting a distinct genus of 4/gz, are nothing but species of Collema 
in a state of imperfect development. The Countess has since that 
time been continuing her observations, and will no doubt publish them 
when they are completed. 
On the same occasion Professor Amici read a paper on the disease 
of the vine, refuting the opinion of Bérenger, who in an article pub- . 
lished in the journal, * Il Coltivatore,’ asserted that the fungus so de- 
structive to the grapes was nothing but an Erysiphe. At the same time 
Professor Amici exhibited several very fine wax-preparations, repre- 
senting the fungus highly magnified; they had been executed at the 
Museum of Florence by order of the director, Cavaliere Antinori, and 
are now deposited there. Many have been the memoirs, both agricul- 
tural and botanical, published in Italy on the disease of the vine during. 
the last two years, the subject being one of the greatest interest to the 
country, affecting as it does one of its principal products; it is to be 
regretted however that so many labours have ended in no satisfactory 
result, neither have agriculturists found a remedy for the evil, nor bo- 
tanists made us thoroughly acquainted with the cause of it. Amongst 
"the most recent publications on the subject, must be mentioned one of 
M. Gasparrini of Naples, in which he maintains the identity of Oidium 
Tuckeri with many other fungi thought to belong to distiuct genera, 
such as Penicillum, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Fumago, Trichothecium, etc. 
M. Gasparrini has also produced lately some interesting memoirs 
on different botanical subjects. For instance, observations on the 
structure of the bud and fruit in Opuntia, in which he proves the so- 
named adherent calyx to be of the same nature as the stem, a view sup- 
porting the theory on adherent ovaries developed by Schleiden many 
years ago, and; recently brought forward again by M. Germain in his 
‘Guide du Botaniste. Another memoir of M. Gasparrini's treats of the 
tubercles found on the roots of a great many Zeguminose, and thought 
by some to be distinct organs or even species of Fungi, and which ac- 
cording to him are only a peculiar deformation of the roots. 
All the memoirs of M. Gasparrini are to be found in the Transac- 
tions of the Academy of Sciences of Naples. "The same collection con- 
tains a dissertation of Professor Tenore on the Baccar or Baccharis of 
the ancients, the conclusion of which is that he thinks the plant so 
