ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 227 



Notes on Aseroe.* — Specimens belonging to this tropical genus of 

 PhaUoideae have been found in Java by Oh. Bernard, who publishes 

 descriptions and drawings. The plant was found in a tea plantation in 

 considerable numbers, and proved to be A. rubra var. Junghuhnii, aliout 

 7 cm. in height, diameter of the crown 9-10 cm., mostly salmon 

 coloured, changing to a blood-red colour at the top of the stalk. The 

 mucilaginous spore-mass was chocolate-brown, and of a somewhat 

 disagreeable odour. The author remarks that only after examination of 

 many individuals can one determine the limits of species and varieties, 

 as one can thus fill up lacunas with intermediate forms which give a well 

 connected series. Fischer had retained the above plant as a separate 

 species, but was inclined to consider it as only a variety of A. rubra. 



Fungi of Nova Scotia. f — A. H. Mackay publishes a supplement to 

 the provisional list of fungi for this colony. Some notes are introduced 

 on poisonous species. Psilocgbe famisecii was supposed to have been 

 eaten by some children who betrayed symptoms of nervous trouble, 

 suggestive of belladonna poisoning. Another case of poisoning due to 

 Panseolus papilionaceus is reported : the patient suffered from dizziness 

 and dimness of vision, but recovered after a few hours. A fatal case, 

 supposed to be due to an Amanita, is also recorded. The writer of the 

 note adds that in twenty years he has only seen two cases of fungus 

 poisoning in a district where fungi are eaten very freely. 



Mycological Research. £ — 0. Brefeld has recently issued another 

 volume, the 14th of his great work on Fungi. He discusses the 

 artificial culture methods employed in the study of these plants, and 

 the problems in mycology that have been solved by this means. Many 

 are still awaiting solution, especially among the Fungi imperfecti, which 

 are mostly stages of some higher fruit form. For each group of 

 Fungi he- gives the best methods of inducing spore-germination and 

 subsequent developments, and gives an account of the progress achieved 

 by workers in each separate branch of the subject. The whole field of 

 mycology has been reviewed by the author. 



Handbook of Technical Mycologyi— The second volume of this 

 great work by Lafar has been recently completed. Most of the volume 

 is concerned with other than botanical subjects, but the later chapters 

 are devoted to the mycology of sugar-making and bakeries. The 

 organisms concerned in the different processes— syrups, molasses, etc., 

 and the causes that affect them disadvantageous^, are discussed. 

 Similarly the ferments connected with bread-making are dealt with, 

 those causing acidity, discolorations, etc., and the occurrence of ergot 

 are also described. 



Necessity of Precision in the Diagnosis of Moulds. ||— L. Mangi 

 has concluded, from his study of Aspergillus, that allowance must be 



* Ann. Jard. Bot. Buit., xxii. (1908) pp. 225-37 (2 pis.). 

 t Proc. Trans. Nova Scotia Inst. Sci., xii. (1908) pp. 119-38. 

 % H. Schoningh, Mimster-i.-W. (1908) 256 pp. 



§ Handbuch Technischen Mvkologie, Lief. 18 (Jena, 1908). See also Bot. 

 Centralbl., cviii. (1908) pp. 631-2. 



|| Bull. Soc. Bot. France, lv. (1908) pp. xvii.-xxix. (1 pi. and 2 figs.). 



