ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 203 



B. Iwanoff conducted experiments on Puccinia Pimpinellce simul- 

 taneously at Faulhorn and at Berne. At the latter station uredospores 

 and more particularly teleutospores, were produced more quickly and in 

 larger numbers. 



Native or Blackfellow's Bread.* — D. McAlpine gives an historical 

 and descriptive account of this substance, an underground sclerotium, 

 of which the fructification is Polyporus Mylittce. The sclerotium is 

 found in connection with decaying trees ; it attains a large size, and may 

 weigh up to 50 lb. It is neither nutritious nor appetising. Hitherto 

 it is recorded only from Australia and Tasmania. 



Distribution of Dry-rot in Russia.| — L. V. Lubimoff reports the 

 enormous spread of this disease of wood, especially throughout the 

 railway system. It attacks the wood of which so many of the houses 

 are built, and also carpets, paper, leather, pictures, etc. The author 

 describes the various fungicides that have been employed to kill the 

 fungus, and he gives the formulas of those that are most effective. 



Growth of Fairy Rings.J — Fr. Thomas has made observations and 

 measurements of a very large ring of Hydnum sucevole?is in a pine wood 

 in Thuringia during nine years and gives various data. In 1896 the radius 

 from centre to circumference measured 8*41 m. ; the ring at that date 

 was complete, but was never again seen in such perfection. As nearly as 

 possible, measurements were made on the same radius or at least in the 

 same direction. In 1905 it had reached 10 '36 m., an average increase 

 of 22 cm. for each year. Thomas calculates that the ring must have 

 been growing 45 years. During the years it was under observation, 

 Hydnum sucevolens was never observed growing within the circle. 



Parasites of Lime Trees.§ — P. Vuillemin writes of the parasitic fungi 

 that infest lime trees, more especially the leaves. Cercospora microsora, 

 he finds, is very destructive to the leaves attacked. It enters by the 

 stomata ; the fructifications are formed in the epidermis and perforate 

 the cuticle. The development of the fungus is described in detail. 

 Helminthosporium TiHm is also a harmful parasite ; it attacks both leaver 

 and branches. These fungi and others in damaging the leaves interfere 

 with the nutrition of the tree. 



Diseases of the Red Beech. || — J. Tuzson discusses the condition of 

 beech wood and the abnormalities of growth that may occur. He 

 describes the false heart-wood which is due to fungus hyphse penetrating 

 through a wound to the heart of a tree. It is not yet ascertained 

 which fungus causes the damage. The destruction of the timber is also 

 dealt with. The fungi that are here concerned are more easily identified. 

 He considers Hypoxylon coccineum and species of Stereum among the 



* Journ. Agric. Victoria, 1904, pp. 1012-23 (5 pis.). 



t Zeitschr. Oesterr. Ingen. Archit. Ver., 1905, p. 363. See also Centralbl. Bakt., 

 xv. (1905) p. 269-70. 



X Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges., xxiii. (1905) pp. 476-8. 



§ Ann. Mycol.. iii. (1905) pp. 421-6 (15 figs.). 



|| Berlin : Julius Springer, 1905 (17 figs, and 3 pis.). See also Bot. Centralbl., 

 xcix. (1904) pp. 620-3. 



