PROGRESS OF MICROSCOPICAL SCIENCE. 21 



certainly a new species. This led to further correspondence with Mr. 

 Curnow, the result of which was the conclusion that Lecidea Ralfsii 

 and Lecidea Muddii were one and the same plant. The evidence for 

 their specific identity appears to be in all respects perfectly satis- 

 factory, and is to the following efiect : — Amongst some forty speci- 

 mens of the lichens described by Mr. Salwey in the above pajjer, one 

 of his Lecidea Balfsii was deposited in the Penzance Museum. This 

 was borrowed by Mr. Mudd at the time when he was jireparing his 

 manual, and by some oversight or other was not afterwards returned. 

 The identity, however, even in the absence of the original s^iecimen, 

 can otherwise be sufficiently established. That the original sj)ecimen 

 of L. Balfsii was identical with the specimens received by me from 

 Mr. Curnow, s. n. L. Muddii, is proved by others subsequently 

 gathered by Mr. Ealfs in company with Mr. Curnow, in the same 

 spof, where the type, the appearance of which was quite familiar to 

 Mr. Ealfs, was obtained. And that Mr. Curnow's specimens were 

 identical with L. Muddii of Mr. Mudd's manual, is j^roved by their 

 equally corresponding with the description there given of this species, 

 except in the two minor characters above mentioned, and also in the 

 thalline margin of the apothecia, which evidently was wanting in the 

 single specimen seen by Mr. Mudd. It is therefore, I think, quite 

 clear that Lecidea Muddii, Salwey, in litt. 1860, is equivalent to Lecidea 

 Balfsii, Salwey, in ' Ann. Nat. Hist. Soc.,' Penzance, 1853, and that as 

 the latter was the first published name, the plant, for the reasons 

 assigned, must henceforth be known as Lecanora Balfsii (Salw.), 

 Cromb." 



Tinea sycosis. — The ' Lancet ' some time ago gave a paper, by 

 Dr. Tilbury Fox, on this subject. The paper is illustrated by two 

 woodcuts, which show very fully the extent to which this fungus 

 invades the hair. Dr. Fox in his lecture says : — On placing certain 

 of these hairs under the microscope, the fungi are seen — and you 

 can judge for yourself from the specimens I exhibit, and from hairs 

 you take from the man's chin — to be both loaded with and en- 

 sheathed by fungus {Microsporon mentagrojihytes), especially in the 

 mycelial form, which radiates through and about the shaft of the 

 hairs in the most luxuriant manner. The appearances seen on micro- 

 scopic examination j)rove most incontestably that there is a para- 

 sitic sycosis. In some cases the fungus has not attacked the interior 

 of the hair-shaft ; in fact, sufficient time has not elapsed ; but the 

 fimgus is seen in luxuriant growth about the roots of the hairs. It 

 has broken uj) the connection of the hairs, its sheaths, and the folli- 

 cular wall, and hence the hairs come away very readily. But you will 

 not fail to notice certain outlying parts, that look like collections of 

 two or three closely-packed, huge, indolent-looking acne indurata 

 spots. This has its bearing on the diagnosis of the disease. Just 

 take the forceps and pull at some of the hairs for yourselves, and you 

 will see that they are lying quite loose in the follicles. You can ex- 

 amine them at your leisure, and compare them with the specimens I 

 have shown you under the microscope. But the interest of the case 

 is by no means exhausted in the recitation of these particulars ; for 



