BihUographical Notices. 227. 



time when Persoon described three species down io that when 

 MM. Crouan added fourteen to those then known, in a paper in the 

 * Annales des Sciences ' for 1857, and more recently five others in 

 their ' Florulo du Finisterre ;' and Dr. Nylander carried on the num- 

 ber to forty-six in his ' Observationes circa Pezizas Fennia;' The 

 AscohoU, as is well known, derive their name from the fact of their 

 projecting their asci above the surface of the hymenium at the time 

 when the eporidia approach maturity. M. Boudier retains this 

 character as common to several genera into which he divides the 

 AscohoU as hitherto constituted ; he then proceeds to trace their 

 development from an early period, describing the young conceptacles, 

 their asci, and paraphyses, and, lastly, the sporidia. Ho attributes 

 the projection of their asci above the hymenial surface to the action 

 of endosmose, by which they absorb fluid from the surrounding me- 

 dium, and from their elasticity arc able to retain the accumulated 

 liquid for some time, becoming gradually distended ; the space where 

 they originally grew becomes at length too narrow for their increased 

 bulk, and they are pushed up on tho shoulders of the younger asci. 

 They then eject their sporidia through a circular or sub triangular 

 operculum at their summit. Being relieved of their contents, they 

 again contract and partly resume their former position. Describing 

 the sporidia of the genus Ascohohis, M. Boudier says that, when 

 mature, they acquire an epispore of a waxy (not membranaceous) 

 consistence, as is shown by the eff'ect of friction between two glasses, 

 when the epispore breaks up into a mass of shapeless granules. Wo 

 would call attention here to the structure of the epispore of Ascoholus 

 immersus, P., or A. macrosporus, Cr., as shown in the ' Annals of 

 Natural History,' ser. 3. vol. xv. pi. 17. fig. 33(/*, where the epi- 

 spore, being carefully removed, not crushed and broken up, exhibits 

 a resemblance to cellular tissue. M. Boudier considers the veins or 

 rugulosities, that are so remarkable a feature in the sporidia of As- 

 coholus, to bo clefts or depressions caused by the shrinking of the 

 epispore, but thinks them of little value for specific distinction, 

 from their variability in the same species. 



Tho accoimt given of the sporidia, in their various phases, is 

 complete and full of interest. In endeavouring to foUow up the 

 mode of their germination, M. Boudier observed only the mycelioid 

 threads usual in other Fungi, but was unable to verify the fact 

 asserted by M. Coemans, viz. that tho threads give origin to conidia 

 of two sorts — one in tho form of a Torula, the other of a Penicillium. 

 Penicillium glaucmn did, indeed, appear amongst his crops of Asco- 

 hoU, but he states it to be of extraneous origin. And where plants 

 so mysterious as Fungi in the mode of their reproduction arc in 

 question, great care and repeated observation are necessary before 

 facts such as those alluded to ought to bo admitted. Nor was M. 



* M. Boudier does not appear to have seen the paper by Messrs. 

 Berkeley and Broome, in the ' Annals of Natural History ' for April and 

 May 18G5, in which some species of Ascobolus are described that are 

 omitted in his list. 



