306 SUMMAKY OK CUKKENT RESEAKCHES RELATING TO 



described, together with their economic uses, and the importance of the 

 lime-secreting species in reef -building. Two of the figures show the 

 plants in situ. E. S. Gr. 



Fungi. 



Notes on the Genus Comesia Sacc.^^EENE Maiee {Bull. Soc. 

 Hist. Nat. Afrique du Xord, 1918, 9, l.s-19). The species Comesia 

 foUcitalus was transferred by Boudier to Epiglia, both genera of Pezizae. 

 A species found by Maire and referred to Comesia has now been recog- 

 nized by him as similar to the lichen Biatorella fossarum. That lichen, 

 he now decides, must be classified among fungi as Tromera fossarum in 

 the family Patellariaceffi. A. Lorrain S^iith. 



Laboulbeniales of North Africa : 3rd Contribution. — Rene 

 Maire (Publications de VUniv. d"" Alger, 1920, 44 pp., 2 pis., 8 figs.). 

 The author here records and describes many species, a large number of 

 them new to science. The list for N. Africa now comprehends eighty- 

 one species ; he has also added three families of Coleoptera parasitized 

 by these fungi. Lists of the insects- affected are given with their 

 parasites. ' A. L. S. 



Aspergillus flavus, A. oryzse and Associated Species. — Charles 

 Thom and Margaret B. Church (Amer. Journ.Bot., 1921, 8, 103-26, 

 1 fig ). The fungi experimented with are employed in fermentation 

 processes in the East. Other types of Aspergillus are frequently present, 

 but are probably contaminations. The authors have made a series of 

 cultural studies. The first two types, .-1. flavus and A. orgzse, are so 

 connected by bridging forms that they conclude there is only one species, 

 A. Jiavus-oryzse. The others chiefly concerned with food fermentation 

 are A. wentH and A. tamari. Many other forms were grown, and the 

 results are described in detail. A. L. S. 



New African Species of Ustilago — Rene Maire (Bull. Soc. Hist. 

 Nat. Afrique du Nord, 1919, 10, 46-7). The new species Ustilago 

 hracJiypodii-distachyi was found by the writer in N. Africa ; it is related 

 to U. bromivora, but with larger, less densely warted spores. The 

 spores germinate only after one or two days in water, and at the time of 

 the autumn rains, that is after having passed the summer in the open. 



A. L. 8. 



Inheritance of Susceptibility of Sorbus Species to Gymno- 

 sporangia.— Ed. Fischer (Atii Soc. Elvel. Sci. Nat. (1919), 1920, 

 112-3). Fischer experimented with Gymnosporangium tremelloides and 

 G.juniperinum. He tested a number of F^ plants and was able to 

 deduce certain laws : for Gymnosporangiumi juniperiiivm all F^ plants 

 with free pinnate leaves were susceptible, while entire leaves were only 

 partly so. For G. tremelloides leaves that were entire or incised were 

 susceptible to inoculation, while pinnate leaves were only rarely sus- 

 ceptible. A. L. S. 



Study of Puccinia Caricis. — Jakob Eriksson {Ark. Bot., 1921, 

 16, No. 11, 1-64). The Puccinia on Carex has been the subject of 



