ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 475 



be burnt while still covered by the leaf -sheath, and before the spores 

 are exposed and scattered. The disease is widespread in the bamboo 

 forests of Japan, and causes much loss to the growers. 



Affinities of the Fungus of Lolium temulentum.* — E. M. Freeman 

 calls attention to the discovery of the method of smut infection of 

 wheat made by Frank Maddox, Tasmania, in 1805, and re-discovered 

 lately by Hecke and Brefeld. The infection takes place by means of 

 the stigma, and the fungus becomes imbedded in the seed, developing 

 with the embryo the following year. Freeman compares the fungus 

 found in the seed of Lolium temulentum with smut, and finds that the 

 two plants are very similar. He considers that in the case of Lolium it 

 is undoubtedly a smut that has gained entrance to the seed. The 

 spores of the fungus have never been found, but he cites instances of 

 smut infection where no spore formation took place. 



Tree-Root Rot.f — An account is published of Agaricus melleus, a 

 widely distributed and very common British " toadstool." It grows on 

 the roots of living trees as well as on dead stumps, and causes much 

 damage. Advice is given as to the measures to be taken to stamp out 

 the disease, and a warning is added against wounding the base of the 

 trunk or the roots of trees, as the fungus can only enter through a 

 wound. 



Spores of Lycoperdon.J — Ch. Van Bambeke has examined the spores 

 in this genus to determine to what extent the condition of the mature 

 epispore is of assistance in the classification of species, which have been 

 divided by systematists into smooth-spored and rough-spored groups. 

 The author finds that in many species the smoothness or roughness of 

 the spore depends on the medium in which it is examined, and on the 

 degree of magnification. He is of opinion that none of the spores are 

 quite smooth, but he would retain this character as an aid to deter- 

 mination, making two groups, one of which would contain all spores 

 distinctly echinulate, the asterosporce, while the other, the subasterosporce, 

 would designate those with an almost smooth epispore. 



Influence of Parasites on the Biology of the Host Plant.§ — 

 L. Montemartini finds that in some cases the fungal parasite accelerates, 

 in others it hinders, the life processes. Leaves attacked by Uredineas 

 show increased assimilation. Transpiration is generally stronger in 

 infected than in sound leaves. Many parasites have no direct regular 

 and constant influence on the absorption of water and salts. That 

 depends rather on the conditions of transpiration and assimilation. 

 Any excitation is really due to the toxin introduced into the plant by 

 the parasite. 



Subterranean Fungi.|| — As fungi grow abundantly in the dark and 

 in humid conditions, a large flora was to be expected in the caverns 



• Ann. Mvcol., iv. (1906) pp. 32-4. 

 t Journ. Board Agric, xiii. (1909) pp. 111-14 (1 fig.). 

 t Bull. Soc, Mvcol. France, xxii. (1906) pp. 23-8. 



§ Atti 1st. Bot." Pa via, ix. (1905) 59 pp. See also Centralbl. Bakt., xiv. (1906) 

 p. 246. || Ann. Sci. Nat., ser. 9, iii. (1906) pp. 102-67. 



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