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struck him that one of the most extraordinary points in the life- 

 history of the TJromyces described by Mr. Reed was the great 

 difference in the character of host-plants ; and one of the most 

 important problems to be solved was, what was the advantage to 

 the Fungus of these different hosts ? He suggested that probably 

 the persistence of the perennial host carried on the existence of 

 the species through periods when the annual was lacking ; and, 

 on the other hand, the annual host furnished much more suitable 

 material for the rapid multiplication of the fungus. These plants 

 showed an extremely complicated form of alternation of genera- 

 tions. It was not necessary to go so far as Switzerland to find 

 out something about the life-history of these Fungi ; there were 

 many opportunities in our own country, and he hoped that those 

 who had heard this most interesting paper would follow Mr. 

 Reed's example and tiy to work out some definite subject during 

 each of their summer holidays. 



Mr. Slade said he understood from Mr. Reed that the young 

 spurge plant might be infected in two different ways : that the 

 spores might attack the rhizome, and also that the uredospores 

 would infect the plant through the leaves in the ordinary way ; 

 so that the plant would be suffering at the same time from 

 mycelium spores in the rhizome and uredospores in the leaves. 



The President, in proposing a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. 

 Reed for his paper, said that before putting this to the meeting 

 he should like to make a suggestion as to a medium for mounting, 

 because Mr. Reed had said that he found glycerine a good 

 medium but somewhat sticky. He quite agreed with this as the 

 result of his own experience ; and he had tried glycerine. jelly, but 

 found that in course of time this also was unsatisfactory for a 

 similar reason \ but he thought if a neutral solution of chloride of 

 calcium was used it would be found a very good medium indeed. 



The thanks of the Club were then unanimously voted to Mr. 

 Reed for his paper. 



Mr. Reed, in reply to Mr. Slade, said that the uredospores 

 did not infect the young spurge, but it must be infected either 

 from the rhizome or by means of the secondary spores. He was 

 much obliged to the President for his suggestion as to a suitable 

 mounting medium ; he had tried glycerine jelly also. He felt 

 much indebted to Mr. Newton and to Mr. Karop — the former for 

 having drawn the diagrams with which the subject had been 



