Wack threads. To what the "cirrhis nigris" or ''black threads" 

 applies is not evident whether to pustules or to spores, but in neither 

 case it would apply to a Diplodia. It would seem more likely that 

 there were both forms in the material or that the material had been 

 mislabeled. It would appear that Cooke's Darluca melaspora is really 

 Melanconium sacchari. 



3. Trullula sacchari. — This fungus has been said by Massee (27) 

 to be similar to the macroconidial stage of Trichosphacria sacchari. 

 However, ]\Iassee evidently did not note that while his maeroco- 

 nidia measure 18-20 x 12 microns, the spores of Trullula measure 

 8-11 X 21/2-3 microns, too great a difference to permit of their being 

 considered as identical. It is possible that Trullula sacchari cor- 

 responds to the microeonidia of Trichosphacria sacchari, especially 

 as the general description answers fairly well for it. Thus "conidia 

 catenulate, forming at first a continuous, hyaline filament, 70-75 

 microns long, soon separating into oblong 2-3 nucleate, olivaceous 

 conidia, " answers fairly well for either fungus. However. "Acer- 

 vuli innate erumpent or entirely black, conic-globose, ^-^^ vmn- dia. 

 resembling perethecia" does not apply to the microeonidia stage of 

 Triclwsphaeria Init to the IMelanconium stage. To no other known 

 fungi does this description apply, and as the material is reported 

 from at least three islands it is believed that the description M^as 

 meant for one of the common cane fungi, i. c, McMnconium, and 

 possibly mixed with the microconidial stage of TricJiosphaeria. 



■4. Melanconium sacchari described by Massee is placed in its proper 

 genus. Massee, however, believed that he found also other stages 

 of the same fungus. The perfect stage he called Trichosphaeria sac- 

 chari. This work will be discussed fully further on. It is sufficient 

 to state here that Melancomum sacchari is the generally accepted 

 name for the common erumpent black fungais found on the rind of 

 sugar cane in many countries. 



5. Coniothyrium sacchari. — This is Saccardo's name for Darluca 

 melaspora, which has already been shown to be in all probability 

 identical with Melanconium sacchari. Massee (1. c.) states that Pril- 

 leux and Delacroix in their paper (1. c.) have fallen into an error 

 in considering Melanconium the same as Coniothyrium. They de- 

 scribed material from IMauritius as Conioflnjriuni sacchari and illus- 

 trated their description with a plate. The illustration leaves little 

 doubt that the material was Melanconium, and the description answers 

 fully as well for Darluca. Apparently these are all one and the 

 same fungus. 



25 



