ZOOLOGY AND liOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 353 



Coloured plates and descriptions * of three species, Agaricus hsemo- 

 rhoiditrius,Coprinus comatus, and Amanita rubescens, have been published 

 in a later paper. Special note is made of their gastronomic qualities : all 

 of them are edible. 



E. Munch | examined into the causes that induce etiolation in the 

 stalk of Collybia velutipes. He found that normal fruit-bodies require 

 full daylight for their development. In artificially darkened cultures or 

 in plants developed in the shade, under roots, etc., there is considerable 

 prolongation of stem. The hymenium is only developed under the in- 

 fluence of light. The spores germinate at a low temperature. Munch 

 observed Oidium formation, but did not consider the Oidia as important 

 reproductive bodies. 



E. T. Butler $ writes on Fames lucidus as a suspected parasite. He 

 cites a number of cases in which there is reason to believe that it has 

 caused the death of trees in India. 



Merulius lacrymans.§ — J. Beauverie has published a study of the 

 mycelium of this fungus as a contribution to our knowledge of the 

 organisms that are so destructive to the woodwork of houses. He has 

 sought to emphasize the difference between this and other similar destruc- 

 tive fungi, such as Poria vaporaria, Lenzites sepiaria, etc. A first point 

 of distinction is in the formation of clamp connections which are common 

 to many Basidiomycetes, but in Merulius form the starting-point of a 

 lateral branch. Another distinguishing character is the formation of 

 mycelial strands on cords consisting of three elements : (1) filaments 

 with dense protoplasmic contents ; (2) filaments with stronger walls and 

 larger lumen, but with scarcely any protoplasmic contents ; (:3) long 

 filaments that thin out at the tips and bend back, forming a crook. The 

 large filaments are comparable to the vessels of the higher plants, the 

 narrower elements to the fibres, and the hyphse with protoplasmic con- 

 tents to the parenchyma. Two nuclei were present in all the cells ; 

 metachromatic corpuscles were constantly observed ; glycogen was also 

 present, especially in the spores. 



Experiments on Higher Fungi. || — E. Wakefield sowed spores of 

 SchizopJtylhtm commune and Stereum pwpweum on gelatin and on bread, 

 and cultivated both sterile and fertile plants. He concludes that there 

 is a tendency from the spore onwards towards the production of one 

 or the other condition which may also occur in nature. The tendency 

 to fruit-formation may be retarded by change or by weakening of the 

 culture-medium. On a very thin substratum only the beginnings of 

 fruit-formation were noted. Schizophyllum does not develop normally 

 unless there is all-round illumination. Moisture induces over-develop- 

 ment of mycelium and no fruit-bodies are formed, nor are they formed 

 in too dry conditions. 



* Journ. Board Agric, xvi. (1910) pp. 1009-10. 



t Natur. Zeitsehr. Forst.-Landw., vii. No. 12 (1909). See also Centralbl Bakt., 

 xxvi. (1910) pp. 566-7. 



% Indian Forestry, xxxv. (1909) pp. 514-18. See also Bot. Centralbl, oxiii. 

 (1910) p. 331. 



§ Rev. Gen. Bot., xx. (1909) pp. 449-69 (53 figs.). 



|| Naturw. Zeitsehr. Forst.-Landw., vii. No. 11 (1909). See also Centralbl. 

 Bakt., xxvi. (1910) pp. 565-6. 



June loth, 1910 2 B 



