18 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



cell' of the perithecium, is absent. Having had an opportunity to 

 examine abundant material of these species, as well as of others be- 

 longing to the same type, I am unable to follow Spegazzini in making 

 this separation; since in all cases I find that cell VI, as well as the 

 usual basal cells of the perithecium, are present and variably developed, 

 as in Laboulbcnia; and the fusion of cells II-IV appears to be alto- 

 gether too insignificant a character to form the basis of a new genus. 

 It is true, however, that this replacement, or fusion, is characteristic 

 of various forms parasitic on Chrysomelidae, and in most cases appears 

 to have become a fixed condition. In other cases, however, the 

 normal type is found and does not vary; while in still others both may 

 be associated in the same species. I have called attention to the last 

 mentioned condition in Part II of my monograph, and as will be seen 

 by reference to fig. 11 of PI. XIV, have figured a variety of L. 

 decipiens in which, although the 'Laboulbeniella' type predominates, 

 the typical number and arrangement of the cells of the receptacle also 

 occur. I have been disinclined, and I think rightly, to give generic 

 value to variations in the cell numbers, especially of that portion of 

 the receptacle in Laboulbcnia, cells III-V and the insertion-cell, 

 which corresponds to the base of the primary appendage in such 

 genera as Corethromyces. Such departures from the normal type are 

 seen in a majority of the aquatic species of Laboulbcnia, in L. proli- 

 ferous, L. variabilis and a number of the forms which occur on Clivinae,. 

 in all of which a multiplication of the cells in this region has been 

 effected, instead of a reduction, as in the present instance. I have 

 therefore placed in the genus Laboulbcnia not only such of the chry- 

 somelid forms as correspond exactly to the type, or in which the 

 'Laboulbeniella '-condition occurs only occasionally, but also those in 

 which cells III and IV are normally replaced by a single cell (desig- 

 nated as cell III + IV). Another type is also included, illustrated 

 by the single species L. partita, in which, on certain hosts, the number 

 of cells in the receptacle may become normally multiplied through the 

 secondary division of the subbasal cell, a condition not previously 

 observed except in abnormalities. 



Although as will be seen a great majority of the chrysomelid para- 

 sites belong to Laboulbcnia, two other genera are represented by well 

 marked forms; Dimcromyces contributing four species from Mexico, 

 the West Indies and the Straits Settlements; while seven species of 

 Ceraiomyces are included, six of them parasitic on 'flea beetles' from 

 the West Indies and Brazil, the seventh a very peculiar form from. 

 Kamerun and Madagascar. 



