ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 477 



British Mycology.*— The Transactions of the British MycologicaJ 

 Society contain an account of the autumnal meeting at Haslemere. 

 488 species of fungi were collected or identified during the foray. A 

 list of these is published. 



The presidential address by R. H. Biffen dealt with the combating 

 of fungoid diseases of plants. The author gives some data as to the 

 havoc wrought by disease in plants, and groups his subject under three 

 headings : (1) avoiding the conditions known to be favourable for the 

 spreading of the disease ; (2) destruction of plant tissues containing 

 the resting forms of the fungus ; (3) exterminating the parasite without 

 injuring the host. Under the latter heading he describes the hot-water 

 method of killing smutted grain, the cases where fungicides are likely to 

 be useful, and, finally, he draws attention to the advantage of selecting 

 races and varieties immune to disease. 



A. Lorrain Smith contributes a note on Sphceropsis Pinastri. The 

 descriptions and synonymy of the species have been considerably 

 confused. 



J. F. Rayner recommends mycology as a branch of nature study, 

 pointing out the advantages to teacher and pupil in including this group 

 of Cryptogams in the list of nature subjects. 



The list of " Fungi New to Britain " is, as in previous years, supplied 

 by A. Lorrain Smith and Carleton Rea. The novelties this year are 

 mostly among the larger fungi. 



Ancestors of the Higher Fungi.f — P. A. Dangeard continues at 

 great length his studies on the development of fungi. In a preliminary 

 chapter he discusses the various theories as to their origin. He does 

 not hold with those who derive them from algas — he traces their origin 

 to the Amcebas through the FlagellataB — and he considers that the two 

 great factors in securing evolution were teleomitosis, with its exact 

 division of chromosomes, and the introduction of sexuality. In suc- 

 ceeding chapters he develops his theories in tracing the detailed history 

 of some special forms. Rhabdium Hedenii, a new genus of Chytridineae 

 described by himself, had been placed by Atkinson in Harpochytrium. 

 Dangeard insists on the correctness of his own views, and he gives a full 

 account of the life-history of the fungus. It is one of the lower forms 

 very near the Flagellatse, and probably without any sexuality. He finds 

 a higher type in Myzocytium vermieolum, a parasite of Nematodes, which 

 possesses both sporangia and gametangia. At the time of fecundation 

 there is only one nucleus visible in the oogonium, the nucleus from the 

 antheridium passes in, and fusion takes place. The oospore has one 

 large nucleus. The author considers this a sort of prototype of the 

 Peronosporeaa ; there is no appreciable periplasm left in the oogonium, 

 and the nuclei are reduced in number. AncyJistes Closterii is described 

 and compared with other forms. The number of chromosomes in the 

 dividing nucleus is two. The nuclei of the antheridium number six ; 

 there are many more in the oogonium ; no fusion of the nuclei was 

 observed, and the maturing oospore contains a number of nuclei, both 



* Trans. Brit. Mvcol. Soc, 1905 (Worcester, 1906) pp. 101-31 (4 pis.), 

 t Le Botaniste, ser. 9, fasc. 3-6 (1906) pp. 159-303 (18 pis.). 



