Notes. 241 



of Diplodia acerina, D. vulgaris, several Valsa, Massaria Platani 

 and others to germinate by employing a nutritive fluid. The sperma- 

 tia should, therefore, be considered as a particular kind of very minute 

 spores, which do not generally germinate in pure water but only in 

 nutritive media which they find in the crevices of the bark of old 

 trees. The identity of certain conidiawith the spermatia, and of other 

 conidia with stylospores, appears to have been recognized. This 

 would only make two kinds of asexual spores for the Ascomycetes, 

 the stylospores and spermatia. The author states that further experi- 

 ments are necessary to prove the generality of these facts. 



— An exceedingly simple method of sexual reproduction has been 

 noticed by M. Cornu in a species of Ulothrix which he names U. Seriata. 

 Besides the asexual formation of swarm-spores, two masses of proto- 

 plasm, destitute of chlorophyll, occupy at first the two ends of one 

 cell. They approach each other and unite in the middle, forming a 

 sphere, which becomes surrounded with a membrane. 



— Mr. W. R. Gerard recently described before the Torrey Botanical 

 Club, a species of truffle found on Staten Island. It is interesting as 

 being one of the first recorded in this country. 



— It is said that a solution of potassic bichromate in water will pre- 

 serve all the lower gelatinous animals, such as Polypes, Medusae, Salpae, 

 Ctenophora, etc. ; also small Crustacea and Bryozoa. 



— A new species of Tinea has been found in China, differing verj^ 

 much from Tinea circinata. There are but few spores and consider- 

 ble mycelium. It has not been fully described. 



— Prof. Leidy finds that the black or smoky color sometimes found 

 upon old walls in narrow, shaded streets is caused by an alga closely 

 resembling Protococcus viridis. It may be this plant in a particular 

 stage, but he calls it, provisionally, P. lugubris. 



The cells are round or oval, .006-009 mm. in diameter, isolated or in 

 pairs or fours, brownish or olive-brown. 



— The most common and conspicuous shell of the New Jersey coast, 

 according to Prof. Leidy, is that of the beach-clam Mactra solidissima. 

 These are frequently found perforated, probably by Natica heros. 

 Numerous genera and species of diatoms are found in the intestines of 

 Macira, and the mollusk appears to subsist upon such food and infu- 

 soria. Amp/iiprora constrieta is a diatom which he found covering the 

 sand, between tides, in a remarkable state of activity. On examining 

 the shore sands of Atlantic City and Cape May for Foraminifera he 

 found them all to be of the species Nonionina polypora, Ehr. In the 

 former locality there were about 19,000 shells to the ounce of sand, in 

 the latter about 38,000. The above notes of Prof. Leidy were commu- 

 nicated to the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences. 



— We regret to notice that our friend, Mr. G. S. Woolman, suffered 

 some loss by a fire in the upper part of the building in which his store 



