61 



Spilocsea pomi. Fries. — This fungus has made its appearance 

 this autumn in what would seem to be stronger force than hereto- 

 fore, threatening some crops with destruction. It appears at first 

 beneath the cuticle of the fruit, then breaks through in circular, 

 often confluent, patches, of a dark brown colour, bordered by the 

 lacerated margin of the cuticle. The microscope reveals a mass of 

 short septate threads, which are simple, and closely packed together, 

 each one terminating in an ovate, caducous joint, which has all the 

 characters of a spore, and ultimately becomes at least uniseptate. 

 The threads and spores are slightly coloured of a smoky-grey tint. 

 From these particulars it will be seen how near Spiloccea pomi 

 approaches to such species of Cladosporium as C. dendriticum, of 

 which it is probably only a condition. In the " Gardener's Chro- 

 nicle" for Sept. 20th, it is supposed to be a state of Helmiii- 

 thosporium pyrorum. At any rate, mycologists seem to be agreed 

 that it is not an autonomous plant, and is closely related either to 

 Cladosporium or Helminthosporium. From our own examination, 

 we are at present more disposed to refer it to the former than to 

 the latter. Further investigation, at a later period, might, perhaps, 

 modify this opinion, but at present its characters seem to ajDproxi- 

 mate so closely to Cladosporium dendriticum, especially the variety 

 orbiculatum, that we consider the probabilities strongly in favour of 

 that species. — Ed. Grevillea. 



CRYPTOGAMIC LITERATURE. 



Wood, Dr. Horatio. — A contribution to the Fresh Water 

 Algae of North America, with plates. (" Smithsonian Contribu- 

 tions to Knowledge.") 



Langenbach, Dr. Gustav. — Die Meeresalgen der Inseln Sizilien 

 und Pantellaria. Berlin. 



Moore, Dr. David. — Synopsis of all the Mosses known to 

 inhabit Ireland, up to the present time, from the " Proceedings of 

 the Royal Irish Academy," vol. 1, ser. 2. . 



Plowiught, C. B. — A list of the Fungi known to occur in the 

 county of Norfolk, and 



Beverley, Dr. Michael. — On the Edible Fungi found in 

 Norfolk, in the " Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich 

 Naturalists' Society for 1872-3." 



Lists of the Local Fauna and Flora of Eastbourne, reprinted 

 from " Chambers's Handbook for Eastbourne," corrected to June, 

 1873. 



Lindsay, Dr. Lauder. — General Index to Memoirs of the 

 Spermogones and Pycnides of Lichens. 



