752 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



bourkood of Santiago. He notes the capricious occurrence of certain 

 species, some being plentiful one year and very rare another in the same 

 locality. Most of the species were collected in pine woods. 



K. Kreissler * found in a cave a monstrous form of Polyporus Rost- 

 Icovii. He compares it with a similar form found by Eeichardt in 18156, 

 and with Boletus rangiferin.us described and figured by Bolton. 



Study of Thelephorese.f — W. Brinkmann writes on the changeable- 

 ness of many of the species belonging to this group. Thus the thin 

 filamentous Corticiese become thick as growth proceeds : in stouter forms 

 a new layer of basidia are formed when the first layer is exhausted — the 

 secondary hymenia being distinguished by dark lines. In many species 

 the surface becomes covered with warts, papillas, or teeth, thus passing 

 over into Hydnacese. The same fungi may be so different at the 

 various stages of growth, that occasionally they are classified in different 

 genera : thus Peniuphora crystallina becomes known as Odontia corruyata. 

 Brinkmann also draws attention to the effort made by species of this 

 family to protect the hymenium from rain, etc. They grow by preference 

 on the under side of logs ; failing that, they develop the edge until some- 

 thing of a pileus nature is formed ; and he also notes the tendency to 

 form sterile growths, especially in wet weather, when species like Penio- 

 phora byssoidea cover large patches with their mycelium. 



Researches on Fungi. £ — A. H. R. Buller has been investigating 

 the production, liberation, and dispersion of fuugus-spores, and now 

 publishes the result of his researches in book form. The larger part is 

 occupied with a description of spore production and dissemination in 

 Hymeiiomycetes — Agarics, and Polypores. Wind or more gentle air- 

 currents spread the spores as they fall, or, in some cases, they are eaten 

 by slugs, and germinate after passing through the digestive tracts. Many 

 subjects bearing on spores are dealt with, such as the specific gravity 

 of spores, the significance of colour, and the effects of light, heat, and 

 humidity on their discharge. Statistics are given as to the enormous 

 numbers produced by the different fruit-bodies. Some chapters are 

 also devoted to the Ascomycetes, in which spore-dispersion is correlated 

 with special adaptation in the asci. The book is well illustrated and 

 well indexed. 



Java Fungi. § — M. Raciborski describes a large number of parasitic 

 and epiphytic fungi from Java, many of them new species. There are 

 several new genera : Farysia g.n., near to Graphiola, was found in the 

 flowers of a Garex ; Ordonia g.n., very similar to Tomentella and Hypoch- 

 nus, produces globose, sessile spores, on which are formed four basidia 

 and elongate basidiospores ; Mohortia g.n., allied to Septobasidium : 

 Alina g.n., near to Balladyna ; and Paidania g.n., somewhat like 

 Venturia, but distinguished by 2-celled spores and other characters. 



* Ann. k.k. Nat. Hist. Hofmus. Wien, xxii. (1907-8) pp. 143-4 (1 pi.). See also 

 Bot. Gentralbl., cxi. (1909) p. 226. 



t Bot. Zeit., lxvii. (1909) pp. 225-9, 241-5, 257-61. 



X London : Longmans Green and Co. (1909) xi. and 274 pp. (5 pis. and 83 figs.). 



§ Bull. Acad. Sci. Cracovie CI. Sci. Math. Nat., 1909, pp. 346-94 (6 figs.). See 

 also Ann. Mycol., vii. (1909) pp. 391-2. 



