TtriASKE, SELECTA PFNOORTTM CARPOLOGIA. 3G5 



chez le Sphgeria scoriadea Fr. qu'elle est d'uue epaisseur remarquable." 

 We do not think that Sphaeria Bcoriadea is more remarkable than 

 several other species iu the thickness of this envelope, which as far 

 as our observation goes is as well if not more fully developed in 

 SphcBria Tilice Fr., Sphceria profusa Fr., Sphceria putaminuon, Schwein. 

 and several others. A striking instance of a similar envelope is 

 figured by the MM. Crouan in the spores of Ascobolus macrospo- 

 rus Cr.* 



In the sixth chapter of the present work, a good deal of space is 

 devoted to an attack upon the oj)inions of Fries as to the fructifica- 

 tion of Cytispora, and some analogous genera. Fries supjDoses 

 (or did suppose at the time when the Summa Vegetabilium Scandi- 

 navia? was written), that all Pyrenomycetes with simple naked spores 

 were abnormal or atypical, and that the conversion of asci into spores 

 was a circumstance of common occurrence. The MM. Tulasne, on 

 the other hand, contend that the Cytisporse and the analogous kinds 

 of fungi are normal but transitory forms, constituting a peculiar re- 

 productive apparatus, and being, as it were, a primary sort of fructifi- 

 cation. It is probable that the latter view may be the correct one, 

 but we doubt if sufficient consideration has been given to the other 

 side of the question. The argument from the supposed age of the 

 great Swedish observer, savours somewhat of an anachronism, for 

 although now " in crepusculo vitse susB,"t it must be remembered 

 that the observations in question were written 14 years ago. Nor 

 do the remarks at p. 54 appear to us very convincing, where it is said, 

 " Quis non miraretur tot fungillorum millia fera semjjer atypica et 

 " abortiva occurrere." And again, " In harmonia naturae et nos ipsi, 

 " Linnsei exemplo, maxime confidimus, quare tot monstra tot abortivos 

 " foetus exstare negamus." We thinlc it might be objected that 

 atypical and abortive forms are not so uncommon amongst fungi as 

 to make Fi'ies' suggestion so unnatu.ral as it is argued io be. With 

 regard also to the possibility of the reduction of asci to spores, we 

 thmk that the observations of Messrs. Berkeley and Broome on Stil- 

 lospora macrosperma (supported as they are by what has been since 

 noticed in Sphcsria Cryptosporii (which seems identical with Sph. 

 suffma^v.), Steganosporium cellulosum, and Fatellaria atrata,)X are 

 rather too summarily dismissed. 



In the Botanische Zeitung for 1854, Dr. De Bary brought forward 

 some observations to show that the common Eurotium herbariorum, 

 and Penicillium glaucum are two forms of fruit of the same fungus. 

 The difficulty of ascertaining this satisfactorily can only be appre- 



* Annales des Sc. Nat. 4tli Series, Vol. vii. PI. 4, fig. 8. 

 t " Sub vitse meae crepnsciilo meminisse juvat, quantas voluptates perfectiorum 

 fungorum studium per quinquaginta et quod excurrit annos continuatum, mihi 

 paraverit." Fries, in Preface to the " Monographia Hymenomycetum Suecise." 

 p. xi. 



X Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, Vol. iii. p. 272, Vol. iv. p. 197, 

 and Vol. vii. p. 228. 



2C2 



