ZOOLOGY AXD BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 87 



found that the appearance of the seeds corresponded with the pellagra 

 seeds of maize ; he tested their toxic properties on eight mice, four of 

 which died in the space of three days. He compares the fungus with 

 th" mycelium observed in the seed of darnel grass. 



C. J. J. van Hall ami A. AY. Drest* describe the disease of cacao 

 caused by Golletotrichum luosificum sp. n. The spores of the fungus 

 alight on the buds and penetrate the young tissue, inducing abnormal 

 growth of the branch, on which are fully developed the fungus pustules. 

 If a fruit bud is infested, the mycelium lodges in the ovary and the 

 fruit suffers from hypertrophy. Many of the apple trees have been 

 killed by the fungus and the yield of fruit seriously affected. The 

 authors give in detail their various culture experiments, and recommend 

 methods of dealing with the disease. 



Ch. Bernard f reports on the parasitic fungi of several cultivated 

 plants. On Thea assamica, Pestalozzia palmarum works considerable 

 harm by destrovimr the leaves. Cutting off affected leaves and 

 preventive spraying with Bordeaux mixture are both advisable. 

 Hi/pochnus Then, forms felt-like growths on twigs and leaves. Although 

 entirely superficial, it weakens the tree and renders it more liable to 

 injury from other parasites. Guignardia Them forms spots on the leaves 

 similar to those caused by the Pestalozzia, the methods recommended 

 for dealing with these fungi are all the same, destroying the affected 

 parts and spraying with Bordeaux mixture as a preventive. 



On Kicksia elastic a the most troublesome fungus was a species of 

 I 'apnodium, which lived on the honey-dew of Aphides, and covered the 

 leaves with a felt of dark-coloured mycelium. In this case the insect 

 had to be destroyed, and the most effective agent was a petroleum emul- 

 sion ; washing with water also proved useful. 



Paul Hariot $ writes on the Oidiam of oak trees which appeared in 

 France towards the end of 1907, and which has spread rapidly, doing 

 extensive damage to young trees. He discusses the various theories as to 

 the importation of the disease and explanations of the sudden outbreak ; 

 the fungus had been noted in previous years, but only to a very limited 

 extent. 



Thierman § describes an epidemic of Sclerotinia bar car am on the 

 bilberry in Tharandt. It was accompanied by a wide-spread attack of 

 caterpillars on the same plants, and the writer considers that the cater- 

 pillars helped to disseminate the spores as they crawled over the leaves. 

 The berry harvest was completely destroyed. 



A number of diseases have been reported || from Nebraska by various 

 workers. W. V. Pool discusses several diseases of tomatoes. Altemaria 

 fasciculata causes black rot at the blossom-end of the fruit ; inoculation 

 experiments proved that only ripe fruits took the disease. A black rot 

 of apples was found by L. B. Walker to be caused by a Spharopsis which 



* Rev. Trav. Bot. NeerL, iv. (1908) pp. 243-319 (17 pis.). _ 



t Bull. Pep. Agric. Indes NeerL, vi. (1907) 55 pp. (4 pis.). See also Zeitscnr. 

 Pflanzenkr., xviii. (1908) pp. 240-3. 



t Comptes Rendus, cxlvii. (1908) pp. S16-18. 



§ Ann. MycoL, vi. (1908) pp. 352-3 (1 fig.). ■ 



Ann. Rep. Agric. Exp. stat. Univ. Nebraska, Jan. 1903. See also Bot. daz. 

 xlvi. (1903) pp. 391-2. 



