478 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



male and female. This persistence of both kinds of nuclei seems to be 

 peculiar to Ancylistes. Succeeding chapters are devoted to a considera- 

 tion of zygospore formation in the Mucorini, to the Hemiasci, more 

 particularly Protascus and Protomyces, and to a general discussion on 

 the' development of sexuality in the lower fungi, the writer insisting 

 that it was an autonomous development within the group. 



Fungi parasitic upon Scale-Insects.* — John Parkin publishes a 

 general historical account of these economically useful fungi, and then 

 turns to the Ceylon forms which he has studied for some years. He 

 takes the various fungi in systematic order, referring briefly to those 

 that occur elsewhere, and describing carefully the forms met with on the 

 island. All these scale fungi, he states, are either complete Ascomyce- 

 tous forms, or incomplete conidial stages. He does not make any new 

 species, although many of the plants he has so carefully described must 

 be new to science. These fungi often attack insects in epidemic fashion. 

 Some of them have been successfully employed in the United States 

 against scale-pests. As moisture and warmth favour their growth, 

 Ceylon, the author considers, should be a suitable country for testing 

 their efficacy as a remedy for scale-attacks. Tables are added of the 

 fungus species and their hosts. 



. Harmful Fungi. f — K. von Tubeuf calls attention to the damage 

 that may be done by the fungus Thelephora laciniata. It is not a 

 parasite, but it spreads over the ground in a compact manner and 

 smothers vegetation. It is particularly hurtful to young trees. 



He records | the occurrence of witches' brooms on Prunus Padtts. 

 It was probably caused by an Exoascus, but asci were not found. 



He also publishes § a note on the occurrence of Trametes Pirn in 

 Bavaria. Though rare on pines, it is found frequently on other Conifers. 

 A fossil wood destroyed by Trametes Pini has also been found. 



Plant Diseases. || — Fr. Bubak reports on the work on parasitic fungi 

 done at Tabor (Bohemia) in 1904. He notes the almost complete dis- 

 appearance of Rhizoctonia violacea from a district where it had been 

 frequently met with. Considerable work was done on various forms of 

 Uredinese. JEcidium Seseli was found to be a form of Uromyces yra minis. 

 The relationships of several other forms were verified. A number of 

 new diseases caused by fungi were chronicled. 



Gr. G. Hedgcock ^ describes a disease of cauliflower and cabbage 

 caused by Sclerotinia Libertiani. Sclerotia were rather rare. The Peziza 

 form was produced in abundance in the cultures of the fungus.** He 

 also gives an account of an attack of Agave by CoUetoirichvm Agaves. 

 Young plants were quickly destroyed. Bordeaux mixture is recommended 

 as a suitable fungicide. 



* Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Peradeniya, iii. (1906) pp. 11-82 (4 pis.), 

 t Nat. Zeitschr. Land. Forstw., iii. (1905) pp. 91-2. See also Bot. Centralbl., 

 ci. (1906) p. 452. 



t Tom. cit., pp. 395-7. See also Bot. Centralbl., ci. (1906) p. 453. 

 § Op. cit., iv. (1906) pp. 96-100. See also Bot. Centralbl., ci. (1906) p. 453. 

 || Zeitschr. Landw. Versuch. Oesterr. (1905) 4 pp. 

 % Rep. Miss. Bot. Gard. St. Louis (1905) pp. 149-51 (3 pis.). 

 ** Tom. cit., pp. 153-6 (3 pis.). 



