April ^, 1879] 



NATURE 



515 



genus, Emericella,^ a Lycoperdoid, is composed of bodies 

 which closely resemble Palmella botryoides, Grev. The 

 : ungus was found on the leaves of Euphorbia neriifolia, in 

 the hot country of Secunderabad, a very unlikely locality 

 for a Palmella. Though the observations in the paper 

 :.re not absolutely convincing, they are highly worthy of 

 ronsideration, and may induce the advocates of the 

 heory of Schwendener to reconsider the matter and 

 lake fresh experiments. 



The other papers in the number do not require any 

 especial consideration, though it may at once be allowed 

 that they contain much matter of interest, scarcely, how- 

 ever, so much as regards physiology as might have been 

 ■vished, for that, after all, is the point which is most 

 -ikely to engage general interest. It is very imfortunate 

 that the Tulasnes, after doing so much for mycology, have 

 of late retired almost entirely from their former line of 

 study. It is impossible to give too much credit to the 

 result of their researches, or the admirable drawings 

 with which they are abundantly illustrated. There are, 

 however, other labourers in the field who are carn-ing on 

 their work, amongst whom it is impossible to neglect De 

 Bary, even when such observations as those on the de- 

 velopment of Ascobolus may require confirmation. They 

 are too curious and important to be set aside without 

 fresh examination, and whatever views may prevail as to 

 the nature of lichens, it is so certain that they are essen- 

 tially fungals, that the origin of the fructification must be 

 the same, or at least analogous. Much remains to be 

 done as to the impregnation of the English fungi, for 

 Mr. W. Smith's ingenious paper on the fructification of 

 Agaricus lacryniatundus cannot at present be received 

 as more than a mere speculation. De Bary's observa- 

 tions on the supposed occurrence of asci in Agaricus 

 ?>ielleus are confessedly due to the presence of a parasitic 

 Hypomyces. M. Comu, however, is attending to this as 

 to many other objects of interest ; while van Tieghem is 

 adding daily to our knowledge of the different kinds of 

 Mucedines, and Drs. Cunningham and Lewis are work- 

 mg effectively in India. It is to be regretted that Mr. 

 Renny has never published the numerous new genera he 

 has figured in this department, which vie, for beauty and 

 singularity, with anything which has been recorded by 

 van Tieghem. Mr. Abbay has lately made some curious 

 observations on the germination of the spores of Hemi- 

 leia, which is so destructive in the cottee plantations of 

 Ceylon. He does not, however, seem to be aware, that 

 Mr. Thwaites had already observed that the species in 

 germinating always produce a Penicillium, though Mr. 

 Abbay has much extended his observations. 



Brefeld and Rees have made many valuable observa- 

 tions with respect to the production of asci with sporidia 

 in yeast. Rees, however, states that under the most 

 advantageous conditions he has never been able to in- 

 duce the globules to send out threads of mvcelium. This 

 was, however, done by Mr. Hoffman, of Margate, the 

 account of whose observations, in company with the 

 author of the present notice, are recorded in the article 

 •'Yeast," in the "Cyclopaedia of Agriculture," the same 

 manipulation showing that the Sclerotium of onions is a 

 condition of a minute Mucor. Their success depended 

 upon having the disk of water in which a ver>' limited 

 number of yeast globules were inclosed, being surrounded 

 in a sealed cell with an atmosphere of air. 



These obser%'ation5 should not be closed without a 

 notice of Woronin's very complete observations on the 

 disease commonly known as the club in cabbages. He 

 not only succeeded in discovering the fungus to which it 

 is due, but was enabled to complete his experiments 

 by its actual cultivation. The figures which accompany 

 his memoir are beyond all praise. We may expect more 

 from his hand on these obscure productions. The genus 

 Proiotnyces will probably afford some unexpected results, 

 and we may yet hope for something more satisfactory on 



the nature of the bodies which are so common on the 

 roots of Leguminosae. 

 j Finally, M. Cornu's researches in the Saprolegniae have 

 increased our knowledge of these curious organisms, 

 \ most authorities being now of opinion that they are 

 j aquatic fungi ; while many other valuable communica- 

 tions, of almost equal interest, are necessarily omitted. 



M. J. Berkeley 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 



The April number of the Geographical Society's new 

 periodical contains Mr. Comber's paper on his explora- 

 tions inland from Mount Cameroons, and his journey 

 through Congo to Makuta, the late Capt. Patterson's 

 notes on the Bamangwate country'. South Africa, and 

 i Gen. Kaye's paper on the mountain passes leading to the 

 j \'alley of Bamian, all of which were read at recent 

 meetings. These are followed by some remarks on the 

 colouring of maps, by Prof. Cayley, the Council's memo- 

 rial respecting professorships of geography, &c. The 

 geographical notes contain several items of interest. In 

 one are some useful explanatorj- remarks respecting 

 Major Pinto's reported "solution of the Cubango mys- 

 tery," while another fixes the locality of Lake Chaia (not 

 marked on any of our maps) near which Lieut. Wauthier 

 died and Mr. Penrose was murdered. There are also 

 same particulars respecting Japanese colonisation in the 

 Island of Yesso, and Mr. Alex. Forrest's expedition to 

 explore and survey the unknowm tract of country between 

 the De Grey and Victoria rivers in North- western Aus- 

 tralia. The present number is illustrated by two maps, 

 the one of Mount Cameroons and the neighbouring 

 coimtry, firom a drawing by Mr. Comber, and the other 

 of the Bamangwate country, also from new material. 



The Globe gives the following as the official pro- 

 gramme that has been drawn up for the " Imperial Ex- 

 pedition " to Central Asia, under the command of the 

 Grand Duke Nicholas Constantinovitch. The staff of 

 the expedition will be an engineer from the Ministry of 

 Railways, an officer of the Baltic fleet, a sur\-eyor, a 

 naturalist, an archaeologist, a geologist, a painter, a cor- 

 respondent, and a topographer. The aim of the expedi- 

 tion is to select the route of the Central Asian Railway, 

 to examine the navigability of the Oxus, and to decide 

 the possibility of diverting it into the Caspian. The route 

 will be from the River Ural to Karasugai, on the Sjnr 

 Daria, thence via Tashkend and Samarcand to the Oxus 

 at Kunduz (Afghanistan) ; afterwards along the river to 

 Khiva, and across the Kara Kum to Krasnovodsk. The 

 work of the expedition will be : i. To collect information 

 as to the cost of the railway, the ability to obtain ma- 

 terials for its construction, whether fuel exists on the 

 route, and the amount of labour obtainable. 2. To in- 

 vestigate the speed of the Oxus, the height of its banks, 

 the population of the nearest towns and settlements, and 

 the existing commerce on the river. 3. To examine the 

 Khiva oasis, the tloods of Sari Kamish, and the ancient 

 bed of the Oxus, commonly known as the Uzboc. 

 4. To carry out astronomical observations all the way 

 along the route, to make military plans, to sketch the fea- 

 tures of the country, to collect objects of mineralogical, 

 zoological, geological, and archaeological interest, and to 

 keep a journal of daily events. Finally, in collecting in- 

 formation respecting the ancient course of the Oxus, to 

 decide whether it can be diverted afresh into the Caspian 

 without detriment to the Khivan oasis. It seems pos- 

 sible, however, that in case of certain Eastern compUca- 

 tions the expedition may develop into a military one 

 against Merv. 



Further news has been received from Dr. Crevaux, 

 the explorer of French Guiana. He returned to Guiana 

 about the middle of last year for the purpose of exploring 



