164 



The Journal of Heredity 



bamboos are used in making baskets, 

 flower pots, chop-sticks, utensils and 

 other objects. 



Different fungi produce different 

 shades and types of ornamentation. 

 The best known among the culm-in- 

 fecting fungi is Miyoshia fnsispora 

 Kawam which attacks the bamboo 

 Arundinaria Narihira. The large ob- 

 long patches of various shades, formed 

 by this fungus, produce an ornamental 

 effect for which such bamboos are high- 

 ly valued. The natural habit of the 

 fungus is complemented by inoculations 

 artificially made to give the patches 

 their right position and shape. The 

 infected culms are cut down at the 

 proper time and patiently polished to 

 enhance their appearance. A good 

 Miyoshia spotted bamboo often will 

 cost several hundred yen (about two 

 hundred dollars) when it is worked out 

 as an attractive flower base or Chadogu 

 (various utensils used in the tea cere- 

 mony). 



Fungi decorating their hosts in man- 

 ner different from that of Miyoshia 

 are also widely cultivated. Small dark- 

 colored spots caused by Melanconium 

 Shiraianum Syd., Didymohtryum 



Kusanoi P. Henn., or Eutypa Kusanoi 

 P. Henn, produce other ornamental 

 effects on bamboo culms. The first 

 species has been known since ancient 

 times as Take no sahi or the rust of 

 bamboo culm. 



According to Sydow (Hedwigia, 

 1899, P- 144)' Melanconium Shiraianum 

 forms dense shiny black spots one-half 

 a millimeter in length, taking an elliptic 

 form on the culms of certain kinds of 

 bamboo collected by Professor Shiria 

 at Komaba, who identified this as the 

 well-known Take no sahi. 



The basket here illustrated was se- 

 cured by Dr. W. T. Swingle in Japan in 

 1898. An examination by Miss Vera 

 K. Charles, assistant mycologist of the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry, United 

 States Department of Agriculture, 

 showed the fungus on this basket to 

 be incompletely developed. Its appear- 

 ance suggests Munkiella, which is the 

 perfect stage of Melanconiimt shirai- 

 anum. The identification could not be 

 made positive, however, owing to the 

 immaturity of the fungus, development 

 having probably been arrested by the 

 treatment received in the preparation 

 of the material for weaving. 



A Textbook of Embryology 



Lehrbuch der Entwicklungsge- 

 scHicHTE, by Dr. Hermann Trie- 

 pel of Breslau. Two revised vol- 

 umes. Pp. 210; 173 illustrations. 

 $1.90. Leipzig, George Thieme, 

 1922. 



In a compact but clear style, Dr. 

 Triepel covers the ground belonging 

 to an elementary course in embryology. 



While most of his data are drawn 

 from the comparative study of various 

 classes of animals, he deals adequately 

 with man, and his material on the 

 phenomena preceding z}'^g"osis is ample. 

 The illustrations, all of them from 

 drawings and mostly the work of 

 Helene Limpricht, are particularly 

 noteworthv. — P. P. 



