194 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



With regard to Stereum he gives only the stipitate forms. He does 

 not recognize the presence or absence of cystidia as generic characters, 

 hence the genus Hymenochsete, based on the presence of cystidia, is sunk 

 and H. damserorne becomes Stereum damsecorne. Most of the species of 

 foreign Stereums have hymenial hairs of some sort. Tlielephora is 

 separated from Stereum on account of the coloured spores and dark 

 hymenium of the former. 



White Ants and Fungi.* — T. Petch has examined the evidence for 

 associating the fungus Eiitoloma microcarpum with the growths found in 

 termite nests. The small spheres of mycelium develop into a fungus 

 called by Berkeley yEgerda Duthiei, but it was not possible to grow the 

 Entoloma directly from the spheres. Once and again, however, Petch 

 found Entoloma on the mycelial patches, but as it grows normally in 

 bare soil, it may only have selected the nests as a suitable habitat. Tbe 

 question, he considers, requires still further investigation. 



Fungus Teratology.j — G. Moesz, in writing on this subject, divides 

 his paper into anomalies (1) of mycelium, (2) of fruiting bodies, 

 (3) of stromata, (4) of asci, (5) of spores and conidia, and (6) of basidia 

 and sterigmata. Under the first heading he places the pseudo-copulation 

 of hyphse in PenictlUum crustaceum. In treating of the fruiting bodies 

 he discusses the irregular growths found in a number of Agarics, irregu- 

 larity of the opening in Tylostoma, etc., and abnormal colours. He 

 finds abnormal stromata in Cordyceps capital a, abnormal asci in Der- 

 matea carpinea, and abnormal spores in many Uredineas. Sterigmata 

 show unusual development in Puccinia silvatica. 



It is not always possible to assign the causes of these anomalous 

 growths in fungi. Experimental study of the subject is much needed. 



Influence of Metals on the Development of Aspergillus niger.J 

 M. Bornand, as a result of cultures with the fungus, found that it 

 would not grow well on Raulin solution when that was contained in a 

 silver capsule. The development was hindered, and though spore- 

 formation was reached, the growth was not normal. Attempts were 

 made by chemical analysis to determine the presence of silver in the 

 solution, but without success. Other chemical observations were also 

 made, and the results tabulated. 



Toxin of Rhizopus nigricans.§ — A. F. Blakeslee and Rose Aiken 

 Gortner found that the expressed sap of the above fungus caused almost 

 instant death when injected into rabbits. Several other species of the 

 Mucorinese were tested, but no such result has yet been obtained. The 

 toxin is present in large quantities in the fungus. The activity of the 

 poison is not diminished by peptic digestion for three hours, nor is it 

 affected when its aqueous solution is heated to boiling for 10 minutes. 



* Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Peradeniya, v. (1913) pp. 389-93. 



t Bot. Kozl. xi. (1912) pp. 105-15 (8 figs.). See also Hedwigia, liv. (1913) p. 75. 



X Centralbl. Bakt., xxxix. (1913) Dp. 488-96 (4 figs.). 



§ Biochemical Bull., ii. (1913) pp. 542-4. 



