926 RECORD OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



between the O.scillarieae and tlie Bacteria. Rabenliorst's name, Creno- 

 ihrix Kuhniana, would, however, appear to be justified by the laws of 

 priority. Largely distributed through the water of wells and water- 

 works, it occurs also in the soil. Both the filaments and the palmella- 

 colonies are coloured ochre-yellow or brown by deposition of iron. 



Fungi Parasitic on Fungi.* — A careful examination of a very 

 large number of examples has convinced S. Schulzer that in many 

 cases 'where forms of fungi have hitherto been believed to be different 

 stages in the same cycle of development, they are really distinct 

 species, the one parasitic on the other ; and that very great care is 

 required to determine which of these two is the case. 



In some cases the parasite aj)pears to exercise no injurious influ- 

 ence on the host ; but far more frequently it in time partially or com- 

 pletely destroys it, and then presents very much the appearance of 

 springing from it as a succeeding stage of development. In the case 

 of the larger Hymenomycetes, the parasite often prevents the forma- 

 tion of the spores, its own conidia then ajjpearing to take their place. 

 Thus Artofrogus Vitmarii causes sterility in the lamellfe of Nyctalis 

 asterophora ; Lactarius deliciosus shows no indication of the formation 

 of lamellae when attacked by Hijpomyces lateritius ; and Agaricus 

 ccesar ens is similarly affected by Mijcogone rosea. 



Poison of Marsh Fever, j — The physical cause or poison to which 

 marsh or intermittent fever is due, was made the subject of special 

 investigation during the spring of the present year by Signer 

 Tommasi, professor of pathological anatomy at Eome, in conjunction 

 with Professor Klebs, of Prague. According to an account laid by 

 the former before the Academy of Eome, J the investigation was 

 rewarded with complete success. 



The two investigators spent several weeks during the spring 

 season in the Agro Bomano, which is notorious for the prevalence of 

 this particular kind of fever. They examined minutely the lower 

 strata of the atmosphere of the district in question, as well as its 

 soil and stagnant waters ; and in the two former they discovered a 

 microscopic fungus, consisting of numerous movable shining spores 

 of a longish oval shaj)e, and -9 micromill. in diameter. This 

 fungus was artificially generated in various kinds of soil ; the fluid 

 matter thus obtained was filtrated and repeatedly washed, and the 

 residuum left after filtration was introduced under the skin of healthy 

 dogs. The same thing was done with the firm microscopical particles 

 obtained by washing large quantities of the surface soil. The animals 

 experimented upon all had the fever with the regular typical course, 

 showing free intervals, lasting various lengths of time up to sixty 

 hours, and an increase in the temperature of the blood during the 

 shivering fits up to nearly 42^, the normal temperature in healthy 

 dogs being from 38° to 39° centigrade. The filtrated water only 

 caused changes in the temperature of the body, even when five times 

 the original quantity of water was administered, and the trifling fever 



* 'Oesterr. Bot. Zeitscbr.,' xxix. (1879) pp. 112, 15."). 



t ' Times,' 1879, October 8. 



j 'Tiansunt. Acad. Lincei,' iii. (1879), p. 21C. 



