124 SELECTED NOTES FROM 



2nd. — A layer of oblique interlacing fibres, crossing each other 

 like the threads in a piece of cloth, and at their superficial ends 

 running up vertically to the surface. 



3rd. — A layer of straight longitudinal fibres, seen in profile in 

 the longitudinal section and cut across in the transverse section. 



4th. — Bands of fibres running like trabeculae across the cavity 

 of the body from the dorsal to the ventral surface, and losing 

 themselves at either end among the other layers ; they are seen in 

 profile in both sections ; these no doubt give the flattened form to 

 the leech's body. I cannot make out any striae in the fibres. 



In the transverse furrows of the skin are seen in the longitu- 

 dinal section the " segmental organs." These are tubular involu- 

 tions of the integument which secrete the mucus with which the 

 body is smeared ; they seem to be rudiments of the tracheae of 

 insects. 



The folded membranous structure seen in the centre of the 

 body in the longitudinal section with fine parallel muscular fibres 

 is, I suppose, the alimentary canal, and the open spaces the 

 gastric coeca seen in section. Neither end of the body is shown. 



H. F. Parsons. 



Erysiphe Martii. — The so-called " spores " of this fungus are 

 really the peridia or capsules. Each has a number of radiating 

 appendages ; they are too opaque when mature to allow their 

 contents to be seen, but each contains a number of minute oval 

 brown spores, not loose, but clustered together in rows in the 

 interior of transparent spore-cases or '' asci." 



H. F. Parsons. 



Bulgaria inquinans.— To illustrate the fructification of the 

 ascomycetous fungi, I enclose a slide of Bulgaria tnquina?is (a 

 suggestive name). It is a coal black, top-shaped fungus of a tough 

 gelatinous consistence, and an inch or so in diameter, not un- 

 common on dead trunks, especially of ash trees. 



The receptacle or body of the fungus is made up of a light 

 brown, elastic, gelatinous stroma, which under a high power is found 

 to consist of flexuous, branched, interlacing fibres, very like the 

 yellow elastic tissue of animals. Immediately beneath the hyme- 

 nium the stroma is darker in colour. The hymenium or spore- 

 bearing membrane forms a flat disc with a raised border on the 

 upper surface. Under the microscope it is found to be made up 

 of long club-shaped asci in all stages of development mingled with 

 curled threads (paraphyses), the use of which is not known (pos- 

 sibly they are male organs). Each ascus contains a row of dark 

 brown oval spores. As the duration of the plant is comparatively 

 long, and the formation of the spores is continually going on. 



