464 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Diatoms and other Algae. He divides them into two groups : (I.) The 

 Myxochytridinae with two families, the Monolpidiaceae (Olpidiacese) and 

 Merolpidiaceae (SynchytriaceaB). (II.) The Mycochytridineae also with 

 two families, the HolochytriaceaB (Ancylistaceae) and the Sporochy- 

 triaceae (Ehizidiaceee or Polyphegaceae). The writer gives a general 

 description of the fungi and the methods found to be most serviceable 

 for examining them. He also gives a more particular account of those 

 found on Diatoms. 



Coemansiella alabastrina.* — This microscopic fungus was dis- 

 covered in Belgium in 1862 by Coemans. Van Tieghem and Le 

 Monnier met with it again in France in 1873, and now it has been 

 discovered in this country by Rudolf Beer who found it on horse-dung 

 in Kent. Mr. Beer cultivated the fungus with success and was able to 

 follow all the stages described by the French writers. Tlie conidio- 

 phore of the fungus bears at the tip a verticil of converging hyphse 

 forked at the tips. The upper surfaces of these branches except the 

 tips are studded with the conidia. Mr. Beer found in his cultures that 

 some of the byphse formed chlamydospores, but he was not able to 

 establish absolutely the connection between these hyphae and the conidio- 

 phores of Coemansiella. He was also unable to find any connection with 

 a higher form of fructification. 



Rabenhorst's Cryptogamic Flora of Germany, &c. (Fungi Im- 

 perfecti).f — Parts 82 and 83 of this important work have just been 

 issued by Andreas Allescher. The genus Glozosporium occupies almost 

 the whole of the first part. It is a parasitic fungus, the perithecia 

 occurring on discoloured spots of the leaves of the host-plants. There 

 are 149 species recorded from Germany and Western Europe. The 

 genus Myxosporium follows next. It is very similar to Gloeosporium ; 

 but it is always found on branches. Melanostroma, Nsemospora, Hypo- 

 dermium, Myxosporella, Blennoria, Agyriella, Trullula, Myxormia, Bloxa- 

 mia, Colletotrichum, and Pestaloziella are all fully described. These 

 all belong to the group of Melanconieae with colourless spores. A 

 second division is commenced of forms with brown spores beginning 

 with the large genus Melanconium. The author tabulates his species 

 under an alphabetical arrangement of the plants on which they are 

 habitually to be found. There are numerous figures in the text. 



New Gymnoascus.} — Alb. Klocker found the new species of 

 Gymnoascus which he describes on the body of a fly. He made suc- 

 cessful cultures of the fungus and was able to wateh the growth both 

 of the conidial and the ascus form. He has named it G. flavus on 

 account of the yellow colour of the hyphaa. In a nutrient solution the 

 ascospores produced branching hyphae with chains of small oval-shaped 

 conidia ; these were never formed in the air. The author describes the 

 conidial forms of Gymnoascus that have already been observed. 



Studies on Urnula and Geopyxis.§ — In order to clear up the con- 

 fusion which existed as to the systematic position of the genus Urnula, 



* Journ. Bot., xl. (1902) pp. 169-72 (1 pi). 



t Leipzig, 1902, pp. 449-576. % Hedw., xli. (1902) pp. 80-3 (1 pi.). 



§ Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, xxix. (1902) pp. 137-44 (1 pi.). 



