ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 383 



two coloured plates, drawn by Mrs. Carleton Rea, and by one photo- 

 graphic plate, the latter of Trametes sinuosa, which among other distinct 

 characters possesses a very sweet smell. 



A list of "New or Rare Microfungi 1 ' is contributed by A. Lorrain 

 Smith and J. Ramsbottom.* Many of the species new to science or 

 to Britain were collected and forwarded by I). A. Boyd. The list 

 includes a number of species that are economically important as causing 

 plant diseases, such as Phytophthora erythroseptica, discovered by 

 Pethybridge as the cause of Pink-rot in potatoes. Several species are 

 republished from the Scottish Naturalist for 1889, the types of which 

 are preserved in the Phillips Herbarium in the British Museum. The 

 genera added to the British flora are Lamprospora, Pachydisca, and 

 Hyaloxcypha (DisGomycetes), and Ghsetospermum (Hyphoinycetes). There 

 are several new species described. 



Record of Cytological Work.f — J. Ramsbottom has reviewed the 

 work done on the cytology of Fungi during the year 1913. There 

 has been great activity in this branch of research in all the different 

 groups. The writer takes each group in turn, and' gives a history of the 

 discoveries made, and the theories and discussions of the different 

 workers. No finality seems to be reached in any branch. A bibliography 

 of the papers studied is given by the writer. 



Resistance of Oak-wood to the Attack of Dry-rot.! — C. Wehmer 

 records the results of experiments made by him on the comparative 

 resistance to attack from Merulius of oak-wood and pine. The planks 

 of oak were mostly of hard heart-wood, and were exposed to the action 

 of the fungus in conditions favourable to its development. The fungus 

 grew vigorously and spread over the wood without destroying it. It 

 remained hard and practically uninjured. Planks of pine-wood exposed 

 to the same conditions were rendered quite soft before the end of the 

 experiment. Wehmer discusses the question of the immunity of certain 

 woods, and especially the tannin content. He concludes that, though 

 many observations have been made, nothing definite is known as yet as 

 to why pine-wood is so easily destroyed by fungi. 



Influence of Light on Fungus-development.§ — Adalbert Bloch- 

 witz cites the discovery by Wehmer of a species of Aspergillus of giant 

 dimensions which depended on abundant light for its development. He 

 insists that such abnormal forms are laboratory growths and could not 

 easily be produced in natural conditions. He also suggests that some 

 of the larger forms of moulds recorded from tropical regions may be 

 simply abnormal developments of familiar species. How far these size- 

 characters are hereditary has not been determined. 



* Trans. Brit. Mycol. Soc, iv. 2 (1914) pp. 318-30. 



t Trans. Brit. Mycol. Soc, iv. 2 (1914) pp. 249-91. 



X Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesell., xxxii. (1914) pp. 206-17. 



§ Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesell., xxxii. (1914) pp. 100-5 (2 figs.). 



