ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICllOSCOPY, ETC. 617 



-continuation of the list-* a long account is given of Sphacelotheea polygo7ii- 

 senulafi sp. n., which destroys the ovaries of the host-plant, resembling 

 thus S. hydropiperis, but whereas the spores of the latter germinate only 

 after a resting stage of six months, those of the new species germinate at 

 once in water. Another new ?,^QC\%^,Nectriapyrosphaera,^\x\c\igTo^% 

 on rotten wood, is distinguished by the fine striations on the spores. 



Economic Mycology.! — M. C. Potter emphasizes the need for wide 

 attention being paid to the pathology of plants both in our own country 

 and in the Colonies. He desires the establishment of more centres for 

 the study of plant hygiene as well asplaut pathology, and the encourage- 

 ment of workers in this branch of science. 



Effects of Dyes on Endothia parasitica. :|: — Caroline Rumbold 

 records the results obtained by growing conidia and mycelium of the 

 fungus in nutrient media to which was added Congo-red, trypan-blue, 

 or methylene-blue, in very dilute quantities. In the Congo-red culture 

 the hyphfe became red-coloured, but developed normally, producing 

 pycnidia and conidia ; the latter from the pycnidia were colourless. The 

 medium lost its colour as growth proceeded. In trypan-blue the 

 conidia stained a deep blue ; growth was normal, and the blue colour of 

 the hypha^ deepened with age, the medium losing colour. The culture 

 with methylene-blue was less successful. Special attention was given to 

 the storage of the colouring-matter by the fungus, and to the effects on 

 reao^ents on it. 



~a^ 



Vitality of Fungus Spores.§ — Louis Renon comments on the resis- 

 tance to desiccation of the spores of Aapergillus fumigatus. He had 

 proved them to be alive in a neglected culture after four years, though 

 in cultures carried on for three or four years the vegetative as well as the 

 harmful power declined. The writer then gives an account of the 

 finding of a culture tube containing Aspergillus fumigatus spores dating 

 from 1892. He sowed the spores on a suitable medium, but they failed 

 to grow. He then inoculated two rabbits with sufficient material to 

 have killed them, without any effect being produced. In the twenty- 

 five years that had elapsed the spores had completely lost vitality and 

 virulence. 



Methods of Differentiating Fungi in Host-cells. |1 — C. S. Ridgway 

 has found a useful method in the employment of methylene-blue as a 

 first stain followed by eosin in clove- oil. He explains in detail the 

 necessary steps to ensure successful results. The double staining process 

 has been found effective in connexion with Botrytis and Rhizojms in 

 strawberry fruits, Fythium in potato iwhex^, Fusarium in tobacco stems, 

 -and crown rust in Rhamnus cathartica. 



* Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat., viii. (1917) pp. 74-83(4 figs.). 

 t Journ. Roy. Hort. Soc, xlii. (1917) pp. 317-23. 

 X Bot. Gaz. Ixiv. (1917) pp. 250-2. 

 § C.R. Soc. Biol. Paris, Ixxx. (1917) pp. 616-17. 

 II Phytopathology, vii. (1917) pp. 389-91. 



Dec. 19th, 1917 2 T 



