OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 161 



On abdomen of Bledius emarginatus Say, Virginia. 



Distinguished from the remaining species by the great reduction of 

 the basal cells of the perithecium and the distal cell of the receptacle; 

 as well as by the shorter more rounded antheridium. 



A further knowledge of the members of the genus previously 

 described under the name of Cantharomyces makes it possible to 

 define its characters more exactly than was at first practicable, and the 

 original diagnosis may be modified as follows. 



CANTHAROMYCES, Thaxter, emend. 



Receptacle consisting of two superposed cells, the distal producing 

 one or more stalked perithecia, and one or more antheridial appen- 

 dages. Perithecia subconical, borne on a single stalk cell surmounted 

 by two basal cells. Antheridial appendages consisting of two super- 

 posed cells, terminated by one or two cells which may bear several 

 branches, the sub-basal cell divided into two parts longitudinally or 

 obliquely, one of which (the antheridium) is subdivided by anasto- 

 mosing septa into numerous small cells. 



G. Bledii is taken as the type of this genus and the species defined 

 below, together with a third as yet undescribed, correspond strictly to 

 the diagnosis given. Cantharomyces verticillatus of a former paper 

 departs distinctly from this type, and should be generically separated ; 

 but owing to the scantiness of the available material of this form a 

 description is deferred for the present. 



Cantharomyces occidentalis, nov. sp. 



More or less suffused with brown. Perithecium rather short, sub- 

 conical, slightly inflated towards the base ; the distal portion very 

 slightly curved outwards, the apex bluntly pointed : stalk cell large 

 cylindrical not exceeding the antheridium ; basal cells each several 

 times as long as broad. Basal cell of receptacle very small, the sub- 

 basal cell much larger, inflated without blackening or externally and 

 inferiorly deeply blackened and slightly incurved. Basal cell of the 

 appendage similar to the distal cell of the receptacle, larger and un- 

 modified or similarly blackened : the sub-basal cell large, its upper 

 inner quarter, only, modified by anastomosing septa to form the 

 antheridium, which bulges slightly on the inner side and is more or 

 less pointed inferiorly : the appendage terminated by several super- 

 posed cells. Perithecium 96-100 X 60 /i. Stalk cell of perithecium 



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