ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICEOSCOPV, ETC. 91 



Basidiobolus Lacertae.* — W. Loewenthal found the spores of this 

 fungus in the intestine of the lizard. Germination was easily induced 

 either in distilled or tap water. The spores grew out into a short 

 septate filament, or a slight pseudotissue was formed. The vegetative 

 cells were all nucleate. Zygospores are formed by the fusion of the 

 nuclei of two neighbouring cells. The process is somewhat similar to 

 that observed in B. Ranarum. The writer considers that the fungus 

 reproduces itself in the lizard, as he found other types of spores smaller 

 in size. 



Research on the Genus Streptothrix.j — L. Petri found a form of 

 Streptothrix growing on the roots of Fragaria. He isolated it and 

 made cultures and reinfected other healthy plants. The Str&ptothrix 

 grew very sparingly, and did not impair the healthiness of the host- 

 plant. Petri therefore concluded that it was only a saprophyte. The 

 cells in which it was found were empty of contents and dark in colour. 

 The writer takes occasion to review the affinities of Str&ptothrix. He 

 gives a list of known species and records the results of his cultures. 

 He calls special attention to the formation of vesicles laterally on the 

 filaments. They are not conidial in their nature, and development of 

 the filament ceases when they are formed. He compares them with the 

 clavate formation of Actinomyces. They are formed of a mucilaginous 

 substance the nature of which is not determined, and are presumably 

 to be regarded as a degenerative process of the filament. 



Note on Phycomycetes4 — M. Henning Eiler Petersen records the 

 fungal flora he found on the chrysalis of caddis-worms. There were a 

 number of oomycetes, their presence doubtless being due to the nutritive 

 quality of the substratum. The absence of hairs seems to allow the 

 development of the sporangia of various Chytridinese. Besides forms 

 already known he records three new genera of that order : Rhizo- 

 closmetium with branching hair-like mycelium and globose sporangium ; 

 Asterophlgctis, with a somewhat hemispherical sporangium studded with 

 protuberances, but akin to the previous genus ; and Siphonaria, near 

 to the genus Obelidium and distinguished by the thick-walled empty- 

 looking rhizoids. 



Contribution to our Knowledge of Peronosporese.§ — A disease of 

 cucumbers occurring in the Twer Government was indentified by 

 S. J. Rostowzen as similar to that caused by the fungus Plasmopara 

 cubensis, and hitherto found only in America. He gives an account 

 of the damage done by the disease, and devotes attention to the fungus 

 itself. The conidia, which are borne on branched conidiophores, like 

 those of Peronospora, are violet-grey in colour, and have at the tip a 

 colourless papilla which is characteristic of species of Plasmopara, and 

 on germimtion they form zoospores, also a feature of Plasmopara. 

 This peculiarity had already been noted by Humphrey, who considered 

 the fungus in question a transition form between the two genera. 



* Archiv. f. Protistenkunde, ii. (1903) pp. 364-420. See also Bot. Zeit., lxi. (19C3) 

 |'p. 326-7. t Nuovo. Giom. Hot. Ital., x. (1903) pp. 585-601 (2 figs.). 



X Journ. ile Bot. xvii. (1903) pp. 214-22 (17 figs ). 

 § Flora, xoii. (19l 3) pp. 40. r -25 (3 pis.). 



