ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY. MICROSCOPY, ETC. 85 



Avorkers in plant-pathology, and he then describes his own experiments. 

 The fungus formed a mass of white mycelium, which bore at first micro- 

 conidia and later macroconidia, the culture gradually becoming greenish- 

 black to black. No ascigerous or pycnidial stage was observed during 

 the six months that the culture was under observation. Further experi- 

 ments were made to test the longevity of the spores under various 

 unfavourable conditions, and the effects of fungicides. 



Fetch * has also investigated the fungus Botryodiplodia theobromse, 

 found on decaying cacao-pods. He reviews the synonymy, finding no 

 fewer than eight specific names attached to the same fungus. It is 

 extremely widely spread, but has caused comparatively little damage, 

 and in most instances is only saprophytic. 



Root diseaes t of tea have also been reviewed and described. The 

 fungi causing these are Hymenochsete noxia, which forms a thin dark- 

 brown crust adhering to the base of the stem ; Poria liypolateritia, 

 which is most destructive on bushes from two to three years old, the 

 roots being covered by a mycelium which is red externally and white 

 internally ; RoselUnia bothriaa, the mycelium of which spreads over the 

 soil. When a tea-plant is reached, the fungus travels down the roots to 

 the distance of about a foot. Ustulina zonata, which is kept in existence 

 on the stumps of Grevillea left in the ground, the fructification is also 

 found at the collar of dead tea-bushes left standing for a time ; and 

 finally Botryodiplodia theobromse, of which the most usual feature is the 

 death of the bushes attacked after pruning. There is no visible fungus 

 on the root, but the tissues are all blackened and the mycelium can be 

 seen by the aid of a Microscope. 



Cacao and Hevea canker | have also been studied by Fetch, and 

 infection cultures made. He comes to the conclusion that both canker 

 and pod-disease of Hevea are caused by Plujtophthorafaberi, the same 

 fungus that causes canker and pod-disease in Cacao. The disease 

 becomes more serious when the two trees are mixed in the same planta- 

 tion. A detailed account of the fungus is given, and of its appearance 

 both on Hevea and Cacao. Spraying experiments are also described. 



Fossil Fungi. §— Alfred Bell, 14 Ftuskin Eoad, Ipswich, requests 

 that any reference to fungi occurring in peat, turbaries, or any deposit 

 . up to Roman times in Britain may be sent to him. He gives a list of 

 the fungi already known, about a dozen from various lakes, peat, etc. 



Mycorhiza of Solanum.|l — The late Noel Bernard studied the myco- 

 rhiza in the roots of Solarium Dulcamara. The function of the vesicles 

 that occur in the infected cells was tested by him in cultures, and he 

 found that they were organs of reproduction which germinated. Solanum 

 maylia, the ancestor of cultivated potatoes, is also infested by a similar 

 fungus, and Bernard considered that the presence of the fungus had 



* Ann. Bot. Gard. Peradeniya, iv. 7 (1910) pp. 445-65. 



t Circulars & Agric. Journ. Roy. Bot. Gard., Ceylon, v. (1910) pp. 95-114, No. 1 1 



t Circulars & Agric. Journ. Rov. Soc. Bot. Gard., Ceylon, v. (1910) No. 13, 



§ Journ. Bot. 1. (1912) p. 27. 



II Ann. Sci. Nat.. s6r. 9, xiv. (1911) pp. 2.35-58 (12 figs.). 



