ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 83 



inundation of the river, when the host-plant has been under water for 

 :some time. The disease is made noticeable by the whitened aspect of 

 the leaves ; closer examination shows the development of the fungus 

 •chiefly along the veins. The best way to demonstrate its presence is 

 to soak the leaf for a time in iodide of potassium, when the mycelium 

 will be found to be coloured a deep brown. The author is doubtful 

 if this fungus really belongs to the genus Scleros'pora or to the Perono- 

 'sporese. 



Gr. DTppolito and G. B. Traverso * have also studied the same 

 fungus in its effect on Zea Mays. They found that the plants attacked 

 produced almost exclusively male flowers. The morphology of the 

 •deformed flowers is described. 



Fungi Causing Fermentation. f — In the Province of Che-Kiang 

 in China, an alcoholic drink is made from fermented rice, and the 

 ferment in portable form consists of cakes made from wheat-meal. 

 K. Saito undertook the examination of these cakes, and found that the 

 particles of wheat were penetrated through and through by the mycelia 

 •of various fungi, PeniciUium glaucum, Aspergillus glaucus, Asp. flavus, 

 Mucor racemosus, Monilia sp., etc. He found also in great abundance 

 a species of Rhizopus, which he has described and figured, and which 

 he names Rhizopus chinensis. Still another species was cultivated and 

 "diagnosed, Rhizopus Tritici. 



The moistened rice forms a favourable medium for the growth of 

 these fungi ; fermentation follows, and a yellow liquid is formed with 

 ■an agreeable odour. 



C. Wehrner % describes Mucor javanic us, also a powerful fermenting 

 •agent ; and though yeast-cells are formed, he considers that the 

 mycelium (and not the yeast) causes the fermentation. He describes the 

 •action of other Mucor s. 



Contribution to the Study of Cystopus candidus.§ — Albert 

 Eberhardt has made a biological study of this fungus. He divides his 

 work into two parts : (1) the morphological and histological alterations 

 •caused in the host-plants ; and (2) specialisation of the parasite. 



Cystopus candidus is to be found on a large number of genera of 

 the Cruciferre. Eberhardt describes the effect of the parasite on many 

 •of these, causing various forms of hypertrophy, deformations of all 

 parts of the plant, except the roots and the ovules, though occasionally 

 oospores are found in the ovules of Lepidium sativum. The floral 

 leaves persist, but atrophy ensues both of the ovules and of the pollen : 

 the latter usually is undeveloped, the former are small and depressed. 

 The normal branching is interfered with ; the branches are short or 

 merely rudimentary. A violet coloration is produced in almost all the 

 •cells adjoining those invaded by the fungus. A similar colour is pro- 

 duced in the healthy plant in the parts exposed to excessive light. The 

 writer describes many histological changes induced by the fungus, and 



* Stazione sperimentali agrarie, xxxvi. (1903) pp. 975-7 (3 pis.). See also Ann. 

 -Mycol., ii. (1904) p. 463. 



t Centntlbl. Bukt.,xiii. (1904) pp. 153-61 (2 pis.). 



t Tom. cit., pp. 277-80 (2 figs.). 



§ Op. cit., xii. (1904) pp. 235-49, 426-39, 614-31, 714-24 (I pi.). 



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