286 BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, ETC. 



the characters by which they had been separated from S. helico- 

 lihylla Mont. 6'. microcarpa 0. Miill. he considered to be a variety 

 of S. helicophylla Mont., and two new varieties of that species were 

 described — vars. tenuis and macrospora — the latter remarkable for 

 its large spores, 35-45 /x. In the course of his remarks on other 

 species of the genus, Mr. Salmon observed that S.fragilis Mitt, is 

 peculiar in the bistratose structure of the leaf, and S. socotrana 

 Mitt, (doubtfully included in the genus in the absence of fruit), in 

 the papillose cells. S. circinata Besch. and 8. usambarica Broth, he 

 would exclude from the genus, and pointed out that the former 

 species, from Grande Comoro and La Reunion, comprises two 

 distinct mosses. Mr. C. B. Clarke gave a summary of a paper 

 " On the Subdivision of Biological Areas in India," and in the 

 course of his remarks mentioned some interesting facts in con- 

 nection with plant distribution in the Indo-Oriental Eegion. Dr. 

 Stapf, in commenting on the paper, expressed the opinion that the 

 limits of the subdivisions proposed were natural, and might well be 

 accepted by botanists. 



Mr. a. Somerville sends us a nicely printed sheet from which 

 may be seen at a glance the Comity and Vice-County Divisions of the 

 British Isles (for biological purposes), in accordance with Topo- 

 graphical Botany for England and Scotland, an I for Ireland with 

 Mr. Praeger's divisions as published in this Journal for February, 

 1896. Mr. Somerville adds some useful notes on the divisions. 

 Copies may be had post-free in millboard tube from A. 0. Burns, 

 383, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, for 4d. 



Mr. J. B. Carruthers has issued an interesting and important 

 preliminary report on the Cocoa disease, which, at the invitation of 

 the Planters' Association, he has been studying in Ceylon. This 

 report gives the results of his observations on diseased trees, and 

 of his culture and inoculation experiments : although their life- 

 history is not yet fully worked out, he has thrown considerable 

 light on the nature of the fungi causing the Cocoa disease. There 

 seem to be two distinct vegetable parasites which attack the Cocoa 

 plant. One is a fungus which attacks the pods and plays immense 

 havoc, for by its means alone nearly fifty per cent, of the crop is 

 destroyed or reduced very much in value : Mr. Carruthers has 

 succeeded in cultivating this fungus and in discovering its repro- 

 ductive bodies, proving by this means that it belongs to the group 

 typified by the well-known Potato disease. Successful inoculation 

 with this fungus was made from one pod to another. The other 

 fungus attacks the stems, producing canker : in this also repro- 

 ductive bodies (spores) were discovered, and successful inoculation 

 experiments made. As one would expect, moisture is most essential 

 for the growth of both these fungi, as is shown by the fact that to 

 obtain successful inoculation results in dry weather artificial moisture 

 must be supplied ; this suggests that, as far as the canker is con- 

 cerned, shading should be reduced as much as possible. Although 

 this report is only preliminary, Mr. Carruthers shows clearly that 

 the first step has been made towards combatting the Cocoa disease ; 



