ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 613 



Use of Brewer's Yeast in Bread-making.* — Julian L. Baker has 

 discussed the possibihty of utilizing brewer's yeast in case distiller's 

 yeast should not be available. The main advantages of the latter are 

 the shorter time necessary for the fermentation of the dough, and its 

 toxin immunity. The same yeast species, Saccharomyces Gerevisise, is the 

 organism in both yeasts. 



From the experiments carried out, it has been proved that an equal 

 blend of the two yeasts gives satisfactory results, and that brewer's yeast 

 alone would produce palatable loaves if "slow-doughing" were practised. 



Laboulheniss of North Africa.f — Rene Maire had already published 

 a number of these insect fungi which occurred in North Africa ; since 

 that publication other lists have been issued, and he now gives a 

 complete account of all that are known from that region. They number 

 fifty-five different species, most of them ah'eady known and described, 

 though several species are new to science, as are two genera Bordea and 

 Peyerimhoffiella ; the former akin to Stigmatomyces, the latter to 

 Laboulbeiiia. The insect hosts and their habitat are described in 

 each case. 



A further contribution % on the subject contains additions to the 

 North African list and the description of a new species. 



A new species,§ also from Algiers, Rickia Peyerimhoffii, is described. 

 It is interesting as occurring on a specimen of Scaphosoma agaricinum, 

 and is the only instance recorded of a Lahoidbenia on Scaphidiidse. It- 

 came from marshy forests in North Africa where humidity is constant 

 even in summer. 



Development of Alternaria Solani.|l — R. D. Rands explains his 

 method of securing sporulation from cultures of this fungus, the object 

 being to secure spores for inoculation experiments. The scarcity of 

 spores in pure cultures had been noted by various writers. Various 

 changes in humidity and temperature were tried without result, until the 

 culture-agar was shredded and the mycelium severely wounded in con- 

 nexion with vapour tension in the air. 



Vertical Distribution of Fusarium.t — As the damping- off of seed- 

 lings of Finns had been causing trouble in the garden of Brown 

 University, Rhode Island, Minnie W. Taylor has examined the depth to 

 which Fumrium may penetrate the soil. Previous records only gave a 

 penetration of seven inches. But by cultures of soils taken at varying 

 depths, Fusariuni which causes the damping-off was found in the 

 nursery at twenty-four inches and all intervening depths. In grass- 

 land it was found only at two, three, and twenty inches. There is also 

 some evidence of seasonal variation, as it was more abundant in the 

 cultures taken in March than in the previous winter months. 



* Journ. Inst. Brewing, xxiii. (1917) pp. 372-82. 



+ Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat Afrique du Nord, vii. (1916) pp. 6-39 (2 pis. and 4 figs.). 

 J Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Afrique du Nord, vii. (1916) pp. 100-4 (1 fig.). 

 § Bull. Soc. Fr. Belg., xlix. (1916) pp. 290-6 (6 figs.). 

 II Phytopathology, vii. (1917) pp. 316-17 (1 fig.), 

 t Phytopathology, vii. (1917) pp. 374-8. 



