ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 83 



eludes the land forms, and in which the zoospores arc developed in 

 sporangia, or, if conditions are unfavourable for sporangia, conidia are 

 developed ; in some species only the latter are formed. ' All the species 

 can be cultivated as saprophytes ; the most destructive parasite of the 

 genus is P. de Baryanum, which attacks seedlings. The author has 

 also described a number of new species of Chytridiaceaa. 



Witches' Brooms on Prunus padus.* — C. v. Tubeuf discovered 

 near Munich a witches' broom on the bird-cherry. In the immediate 

 neighbourhood there were three old cherry trees with large " brooms " 

 caused by Taphrina Gerasi, and Tubeuf is of opinion that infection spread 

 from these trees to the bird-cherry. It is very unusual to find " brooms" 

 on the latter tree, for this reason, that the two kinds of cherry do not 

 form their leaves at the same time, and those of the bird-cherry are very 

 seldom in the stage of development at a time when inoculation is possible 

 from the spores of Taphrina Gerasi. 



Monograph of the Laboulbeniacese.t— R. Thaxter presents this 

 memoir as a contribution to the subject, which he has not yet exhausted, 

 as much material still remains for examination. Nearly 350 forms are 

 illustrated, increasing to about 500 the total number of species and 

 varieties thus far described, Avhich are included in more than 50 genera. 

 They all find their habitat on insects, but their growth is not associated 

 with any appreciable injury to the host. A general survey is given of 

 the various forms, with comparative descriptions of the vegetative and 

 reproductive organs, and a key to the genera is provided. Thaxter 

 states that although these plants resemble the Floridea?. in some respects 

 more clearly than they do any other plants, they are more surely Asco- 

 mycetes than many forms included in that group, and he sees no sufficient 

 reason why they should not be placed in the Pyrenomycetes as a group 

 co-ordinate with the Perisporiales, Hypocreales, etc. The bulk of the 

 work is occupied by diagnoses of new genera and species, and by plates 

 to illustrate the new forms. 



Culture of Truffles. $ — Zacharewicz discusses the conditions that 

 affect the growth of these underground fungi in Vaucluse in connection 

 with different kinds of oak. For purposes of propagation " glands " 

 must be chosen from a fertile tree. The growth of cereals, leguminous 

 plants, and especially of vines, help to prepare the soil for the truffles. 

 The author recommends cutting the roots of the trees so as to encourage 

 horizontal growth. Certain chemical manures, lime, and methodical 

 watering are recommended. 



Hyphomycetes.§ — G. Lindau includes a large number of genera in 

 the present fascicle, including Tilachlidium, Isaria, Stilbiim, Graph mm. 

 etc ; in the latter he has figured some of the more curious forms. Core- 

 mi am is retained as a genus with several species. 



* Naturw. Zeitschr. Land. Forstw., vi. (1908) pp. 372-4. See also Bot. Centralbl. 

 cviii. (1908) p. 530. 



t Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts Sci., xiii. No. 6 (1908) pp. 219-469 (44 pis.). 



% Res. Vitic, xxix. (1908) pp. 300-3 and 322-5. See also Bot. Centralbl., cviii. 

 (1908) p. 553. 



§ Rabenborst's Kryptogamen Flora, i. 9te Abt , lief. 110 (Leipzig, 1908) pp. 

 305-68. 



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