78 Miscellaneous. 
under the microscope. After exposure to the air for two days, a 
crop of fungi appeared on the cut surface ; but, strange to say, the 
central portion, consisting of the two internal strata, was covered 
with a species of Ozdium of a grayish tint, while the external ring, 
which had now lost all rigidity, was occupied with a white circle of 
Penicillium glaucum passing on the inner edge into the greenish 
tinge of adult tufts of that fungus. We do not recollect to have 
seen anything of the kind before, and we record it with the greater 
pleasure, as it shows how much ground there is for observation, 
even in objects which we tread every day under foot. 
The Oidiuim is a most beautiful object under the microscope. It 
is a form of Oidium fructigenum, differing merely in its rather grayer 
tinge and diffuse mode of growth, owing probably to its having liberty 
of free development, instead of being forced to break out through the 
cuticle, in which it forms little tufts which are often arranged con- 
centrically. In intimate structure it precisely resembles the type 
which is admirably figured by Corda in his ‘ Icones Fungorum,.’— 
Gardeners’ Chronicle. 
PRESIDENCY OF THE LINNAAN SOCIETY. 
The anonymous writer of the paragraph in the ‘ Athenzeum,’ in 
which it was asserted that there was “a strong feeling among the 
Fellows”’ of the Linnzean Society “in favour of biennial election to 
the Presidency,” is, of course, very angry at the notice on the sub- 
ject in the last Number of the ‘ Annals.’ 
In a paragraph (Atheneum, Dec. 8) the writer attempts to elude 
the charge of having made a false statement. The expression, ‘a 
strong feeling among the Fellows,” must evidently have been in- 
tended to convey that such feeling prevailed among the majority, 
or at least some considerable number of the Fellows: and this, we 
again assert, is wholly without foundation. ‘‘ We stated,” says the 
writer, “what we knew to be the fact, that many of the Fellows in- 
clined towards a biennial election.”” Who, then, is this wonderful 
wE, that pretends to know so much of the feelings and opinions of 
the Fellows of the Linneean Society? And what does he call many? 
ten, five, or two? Or perhaps he considers his we a host in itself. 
If however he would append his initials, which (to use his own 
phrase) ‘have not yet transpired,” and which probably might be 
deciphered as easily as our R.T., the public might be enabled to 
judge of the value of his statements. The right of the author of the 
paragraph to entertain any opinion he pleases was never questioned 
(although he falsely charges us with assuming “that no opinion dif- 
fering from our own can be held’’); nor did we enter at all upon the 
question as toa biennial election ; what we protested against was, that 
he should obtrude his private fancies upon the public, pretending that 
they were the strong feeling of a large body of Fellows. We also 
object that recourse should have been had to the hackneyed news- 
paper expedient for setting an unfounded rumour afloat by such an 
insinuation as the followimg:—‘ It has not yet transpired whether 
the invitation has or has not been received conditionally by Mr. 
