ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, iMICROSCOPY. ETC. 715 



generally held to be caused by Nedrin dltlssima. He considers that 

 the fungus is an after-product, and not the original cause of the trouljle. 

 He has proved this by a long series of infection experiments. He 

 recommends methods of dealing with the disease. 



A new enemy of the coffee plant has appeared in New Caledonia, 

 and is described l)y J. (iallaud.* It is a hyphomycetous fungus, Pelli- 

 cularia Jcoleroga Cooke, which attacks the leaves and covers the epi- 

 dermis of the lower surface, though it scarcely penetrates into the 

 tissues. It gradually smothers the host-plant, interfering as it does 

 with all respiration. 



Oiditim Ei/onymi-japonicce was transported to South Europe with the 

 host-plant, and became there a veritable epidemic. It has also been 

 brought to South England in the same w'ay, and E. S. Salmon! has 

 examined and described its appearance and growth. Perithecia were 

 never developed. The fungus persists through the winter by means of 

 the perennial mycelium in the evergreen leaves of the host. 



The dry summer of 1904 was not favourable to the development of 

 the potato disease Phytophthora infestans, and some other diseases 

 flourished in an unusual manner. O. Appelt made a special study of 

 these diseases on potato and tomato plants. Stysanus Stemonitis caused 

 disease spots on the tubers, and prepared the way for other more deadly 

 fungi. PheUomyces sclerotiophorus was frequent on the scales, but did 

 not play much part as a disease. On tomatoes Fusarium erubescens 

 gave rise to an epidemic. Phytophthora infestans was also found on 

 tomato plants. Fusarium sp. gives rise to rolling of the leaves ; 

 mycelium of the fungus was found in the vessels of the stalk. Lenticels 

 were responsible for allowing the entrance of harmful organisms into 

 the tissues through their openings. Blackening of the stem was not 

 fr3quent. 



E. T. Butler§ describes three fungous diseases of palms which have 

 appeared in India : Phytophthora, which attacked the betel palm ; a 

 root disease supposed to be due to Fames lucidus ; and a disease 

 of palmyra palm and coco-nut palm caused by a Pythium, which 

 first infects the young leaves, and extends to the buds, which it 

 destroys. 



C. von Tubeuf II describes a witches' broom on GJeditschia, but he 

 could not find any trace of the organism that had given rise to it. He 

 also describes some diseases on exotic plants in Germany : a Japanese 

 larch was attacked by Uasyscypha and by Co&oma Lav ids, although the 

 leaves are well protected by a waxy coating. 



A number of diseased plants were referred to the Board of Agri- 

 culture.lF These were Rhizoctonia on rhubarb, silver leaf on plums, 

 shot-hole fungus {Cercospora circumscissa) on peach leaves, plane-leaf 



* Comptes Rendus, cxli. (1907) pp. 898-900. See also Centralbl. Bakt., xviii. 

 (1907) p. 704. t Journ. Hort. Soc, xxix. (1906) p. 9. 



: Jahresb. Ver. Vert. Ang. Bot., iii. (1906). See also Bot. Centralbl.. cv. (1907) 

 pp. 23-4. 



§ Agric. Journ. India, i. (1906) pp. 299-310. See also Bot. Centralbl., cv. 

 (1907) p. 58. 



II Naturw. Zeitschr. Land. Forst., v. (1907) pp. 84-6. See also Bot. Centralbl., 

 cv. (1907) p. 28. ^ Journ. Board of Agric, xiv. (1907) pp. 221-2. 



