13 
Topazes or Quartz may be distinguished where, as in the 
specimen exhibited, sheht cleavage plains are seen; the cleav- 
age of the two minerals being very different. Otherwise they 
are not readily distinguished, and on that account false 
Topazes are very common. White Topazes of large size 
and clear enough to cut are rare. 
Prof. A. M. Edwards read a 
REPORT UPON A SPECIMEN OF ANEMONE NEMOROSA INFESTED 
BY A FUNGUS. 
This fungus is a species quite common both in this country 
and Hurope, upon the true leaves of the Anemone in early 
spring, and has been named Puccinia Anemones. In Ray’s 
“Synopsis,” (8d edition, 1724,) it is described in company 
with true ferns, and was for a long time supposed that the 
deeply cleft leaf of the Anemone with the brown spots upon 
its under side was a fern with sori. As Ray says, “this 
capillary was gathered by the Conjurer of Chalgrave,” hence it 
has come to be known as the Conjurer of Chalgrave’s fern. 
This fungus like the other microscopic parasitic ones, grows 
beneath the surface of the plant, throwing out its threads of 
mycelium among the cells, until it develops the brownish 
colored bodies, known as spores (perhaps incorrectly), and it 
is by the peculiar. characters of these that species have been 
distinguished; although there seems two good reasons for 
supposing that these plants are not only dimorphous, as has 
been stated, but polymorphous, assuming different forms ac- 
cording to the habitat in which they are found. 
In reply to the question, as to whether it was true, as was 
stated by farmers, that Barberry bushes infested with fungus, 
or mildew, conveyed that mildew to fields of wheat adjoining, 
which then showed the presence of ‘* brand.” 
Prof. Kdwards remarked that such might very likely be 
the case, as very little certain is known respecting the life 
history of these minute plants, and he was now carrying on 
some experiments, by infesting different plants with fungi 
’ 
