ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 81 



this large group. In the two contributions cited he confines himself to 

 the Basidioinycetes and Uredinere. He finds that in the first group a 

 much more extensive research is required before any certainty can be 

 reached. He quotes largely from R. Maire, who described the associated 

 nuclei of the Basidiomycetes as a synkarion, and who traces their history 

 throughout the life of the plant. Gallaud also lays much stress on 

 Blackman's research in the Uredineas. 



New Hymenomycetes.* — W. A. Setchell describes at some length 

 two hypogaBous Secotiaceaj. They are not entirely subterranean, but 

 develop under a covering of dead leaves and other debris. Secotium 

 tenuipes looks when uncovered like a Bolbibius or Coprinus, and is about 

 2 in. in height. The gleba is formed of anastomosing plates or gills ; 

 the spores are yellowish-brown. The second species, Elasmomyces russu- 

 loides, looks like a young Russula. A section shows the hymenogastroid 

 nature of the pileus. The spores are colourless and reticulate. 



Diseases of Plants. — F. L. Stevens t has investigated the 

 Chrysanthemum Ray Blight, by cultivating the fungus on agar media, by 

 infecting other plants, and following the development of the parasite. 

 He finds it to be one of the Sphreropsideas, Ascochyta Chrysanthemisip. n. 

 It attacks the flower often while in the bud, blackening the receptacle, 

 peduncle, and stem. No higher fruiting form was distinguished. 



E. Henry | writes on the pine disease in the Jura forests. The 

 branches affected by the disease become yellowish at the extremities, 

 then red. The voung; branches alone are attacked ; the mycelium 

 penetrates to the cambium and kills it all round the branch. The 

 pycnidia of the fungus, a species of Phoma, are produced in the cortex 

 and pierce the bark. No trees have been killed, and, as the fungus has 

 disappeared once, it is hoped that it will again die out. No remedy for 

 it has been found. 



A pine disease that has done considerable damage in the Jura has 

 been diagnosed as due to the action of Phoma on the leaves. Prillieux 

 and Maublanc § give an account of the fungus, and they recommend 

 planting of beech-trees among the pines as an almost certain means of 

 checking the spread of the disease. 



Ch. Bernard || describes a disease of coco-palms caused by Petfalozzia 

 pahnarum. The spores of the fungus were found to germinate very 

 easily and quickly in cultures and to infect fresh plants with equal 

 rapidity, which accounts for the spread of the disease. Only quite 

 young plants suffered. An account is given of methods of killing the 

 fungus. 



Several instances of fungoid attacks have been notified to the Board 

 of Agriculture. H Helmiathosporium gramineum was found on wheat. 

 Celery plants were suffering from the leaf-blight Oercospora Apii. 



* Journ. Mycol. xiii. (1907) pp. 236-41 (1 pi.), 

 t Bot. Gazette, xliv. (1907) pp. 241-58 (15 figs.). 

 % Comptes Rendus, cxliv. (1907) pp. 725-7. 

 § Tom. cit., pp. 699-701. 



|] Bull. Agric. Indes Neerland, ii. (1906). See also Bot. Centralbl., cv. (1907) 

 pp. 433-4. % Journ. Board of Agric, xiv. (1907) pp. 416-17. 



Feb. 19th, 1908 G 



