1879.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 67 



is soon ruptured with many small openings where the perithecia 

 are scattered, or with much larger gaps where several perithecia 

 more or less distinctly confluent, are grouped together. On peel- 

 ing oft" the epidermis, the perithecia are generally left adhering to 

 the inner bark, though in some cases where the cuticle is thick and 

 tough, as in the cherry, they adhere to the inner surface of the 

 cuticle itself. 



The mycelium which spreads over and penetrates the matrix 

 consists of variously branched and anastomosing dark brown 

 septate threads which are more luxuriant in proportion as the 

 substance of the matrix is of a soft and spongy nature. This 

 mycelium assumes at length a darker shade, so that the substance 

 of the bark -and the subjacent surface of the wood becomes finally 

 almost black. The perithecia are always filled at first with a 

 white grumous mass which is closely attached to the inclosing 

 walls, and from which are slowly developed the organs of fructi- 

 fication. The mature perithecia at length become black within, 

 and the upper portion breaks away, leaving the cup-shaped base 

 attached to the matrix. Having now for several years studied 

 these various forms I am satisfied that Sphseria Quercuum, Schw. 

 includes all the following so-called species, viz., Sphseria mutila, 

 Fr.; 1 S. ambigua, Schw.; S. Melise, Schw.; S. entaxia, C. & E. in 

 Grevillea, vol. 6, p. 14 ; S. eriostega, Id. ; 8. viscosa, Id., vol. 5, p. 

 34 ; S. erratica, Id., vol. 6, p. 95 ; S. thyoidea, Id., vol. 6, p. 14 ; 

 S. jn/riospora, Ell. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, v. p. 46 ; Botryosphse- 

 ria pustulata, Sacc. Fungi Yeneti, Ser. IV. p. 3 ; Dothidea vene- 

 nata, C. & E. in Grev., vol. 5, p. 95 ; D. Cerasi, Id., vol 5, p. 34 ; 

 Thumenia Wisterias, Rehm in Mycotheca Universalis, No. 971; 

 (Melogramma Wisterias, Cke., Grev. vol. 7, p. 51), and probably 

 Sphseria Hibisci, Schw,; S. Persimmons, Schw.; and S. Gratseg,i 

 Schw. Valsa mahaleb, C. & E. in Grev., vol. 6, p. 11, is also, ac- 

 cording to my specimens, only the young and imperfectly developed 

 state of the same thing. Melogramma Aceris, C. & E., Grev., vol. 

 7, p. 8, is also, without much doubt, to be included in the above 

 list, though this species and S. eriostega, C. & E., are unknown to 

 me except from the descriptions in Grevillea. Of all the others I 



1 At least as that species is represented in Rav. Fungi Caroliniani Exsic- 

 cati, Fasc. III. No. 62. See also remark in Grevillea, vol. 4, p. 97, uuder 

 Melogramma Quercuum, Schw. 



