56 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



A FUNGUS ON A BEETLE. 



By D. M'Alpine. 



Botrytis angulata, n. sp. — Angular Botrytis. Dirty-white tufts 



issuing from interior of body, and forming a continuous mass 



over various portions of it, but mostly on under surface. 



Hyphae slender, colourless, sparingly branched, septate, average 

 2 fi. diameter. 



Fertile hyphae forming very minute, chalky-white, globular heads of 

 gonidia (only seen with magnifying glass) about 34-36 fi. diameter ; 

 variously branched, dichotomously or at right angles, and ultimate 

 branchlets becoming very much attenuated. The ultimate branch- 

 lets are usually zig-zag in shape, ending in a knob and with little 

 projecting points at each angle to which gonidia are attached. 



Gonidia spherical, hyaline, regular in size and shape, 1.5-2 p. 

 diameter. 



On Ceratognathus Westwoodi, Trentham, Victoria. 



This specimen was sent to me by my colleague, Mr. C. French, 

 F.L.S., and was found by Mr. H. Giles. I determined the fungus 

 to be a Botrytis, and on communicating with Professor Saccardo, 

 he considered it to be a new species. The genus Botrytis is sub- 

 divided by Saccardo according as the tips of the branchlets are 

 acute (Eubotrytris), or thickened and rather obtuse (Polyactis), or 

 inflated and warty (Phymatotrichum), or obtuse and spiny 

 (Cristularia). As the tips here are thickened and obtuse, without 

 either warts or spines, the species belongs to the Polyactis division. 

 It has a resemblance to B. tenella, Sacc, in the size of the spores, 

 which, however, has acute-tipped branchlets. The short, sharp 

 turns of the branchlets, giving them a zig-zag appearance, are very 

 characteristic, hence the specific name. 13th July, 1896. 



Double Nest of Black and White Fantail. — I have 

 received the following interesting note with reference to a nest 

 exhibited at a recent meeting of the Field Naturalists' Club (vol. 

 xiii., page 2), which perhaps may be of interest to some members 

 of the Club. — C. French, jun. : — " I thank you very much for 

 the portion of dead branch bearing the two conjoined nests of 

 the Black and White Fantail, the whole forming an interesting 

 nidiological curiosity. The half-overturned nest has been occupied 

 by a brood of young. Probably the same parent birds built the 

 newer home, which contained eggs, as found by Master W. Shep- 

 herd. These birds are persistent nest-builders. It is recorded 

 that a pair one season constructed no less than four nests, and 

 deposited eggs therein, which were either destroyed or stolen 

 before the birds succeeded in rearing a family. The Black and 

 White Fantail often rears three families in a season. Once I 

 heard of two broods being reared one after another in the same 

 nest — an unusual thing for Fantails, because they generally con- 

 struct a new nest for each family. — Yours, &c, A. J. Campbell." 



