Entomogenous Fungi. 433 



in a box of moist moss ; but the specimens in the check cages alsp 

 died, both having been infected with the disease before they were 

 taken from the storage pots. Those artificially infected died in 

 greater numbers, but the appearance of the disease in the check- 

 <jages makes it impossible to draw any positive conclusions. The 

 wireworms contained in the storage cages all died before spring, 

 and not a single click-beetle emerged. The spread of the disease 

 was probably very much facilitated by searching for diseased speci- 

 mens. In this way the soil, charged in places with conidia, became 

 thoroughly mixed several times, thus carrying conidia to every 

 part. The soil used was a sandy loam giving to packing hard. To 

 prevent this, a small amount of finely broken Sphagnum was mixed 

 with it. Wherever this Sphagnum had not been thoroughly 

 mixed, and reuiained in small masses, the disease was most preva- 

 lent. Larvae lying in or near such masses were almost sure to be 

 attacked, the foliaceous stroma spread over the surface apparently 

 deriving some nourishment therefrom. This suggests that possibly 

 a loosening of the soil may be of some advantage where wireworms 

 are abundant, especially if the disease be present. The cages in 

 win'ch they were confined wei'e prepared as follows: About three 

 hundred larvse were placed in an ordinary plant jar filled with soil 

 prepared as described. AVheat and clover were sown on the sur- 

 face and a large glass cylinder, such as is used for breeding insects, 

 was placed over the jar, and its upper end closed with muslin. This 

 jar was then placed in a second jar and the space of about an inch 

 between was packed with moss, which was daily moistened. Enough 

 moisture passed through the inner porous jar to supply the needs of 

 the enclosed larvse. 



ISAEIA A^ISOPLIAE (Metch.).* 



A pure culture of a fungus working on wireworms, AnisopUa, 

 was received, labeled laaria destructor (Metch.), from P'rance 

 ■communicated by Professor Alfred Giard. A dilution culture wa8 



* Krassilschik says (Bull. Sci. do Fr. et dela Bel. Jan. — Avr. 1H93 — translation 

 in Freuch) and (Jour. Mycol, Vol. V. 1889, translation in English): That the 

 genus MeiarrMzium was established by I'rofessor Soiokin for the Green Mus- 

 cardine discovered by MetchnikoflE upon the larvge of AnisopUa austriaca and 

 ■first named by him Entomophthora anisoplm. But Metehnikoff since gave it the 

 name of Isaria destructor. The name Metarrhizium was thus dropped, as the 

 other members of the genus were imperfectly established. So if the first specific 

 name is retained it would be laaria anisoplice (Metch.) 



28 



