1887. ] BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 189 
donable in philosophy, should not be carried too far in nat- 
ural science. ourse, no celebration of our national 
anniversary is complete without a balloon ascension, and the 
more gas the better, provided the aeronaut, or, as the papers 
generally call him, the professor, only lands safely. So our 
society sends up its annual balloons in the shape of ad- 
dresses in which the professors are allowed to soar above, 
though not out of sight of, facts. But they must not remain - 
too long up in the air, and the gas for their balloons should 
be generated in the laboratory of experience and study. 
their every-day work, it seems to me that the attitude of 
botanists, at the present day, is the correct one. Following 
the prevailing tendency in business affairs, the question they 
ask of plants is not so much, ‘‘ Who is your father, and 
where did you come from?” as ‘* What can you do?”’ 
The identity of Podosphera minor Howe and Microsphwra fulvo- 
fulera Cooke. 
MARTHA MERRY. 
(WITH PLATE XI.) 
_ About two years ago, while making a study of the Amer- 
ican forms of the genus Microsphera, the W/. fulvofulcra 
Cooke came to my notice. The specimen examined was 
from the Ellis collection of North American fungi, No. 1,321. 
The so-called species is described in an article on ‘ Califor- 
nian Fungi,” by Rev. J. E. Vize, in Grevillea, vol. v, p. 
10, where it is said, ‘‘asci not seen.’’ Examination of ma- 
ture specimens shows clearly a single ascus in each perithe- 
‘um, thus placing it in the genus Podosphera. It agrees 
With the description of Podosphera minor Howe, thus neces- 
Sitating the cancellation of Microsphara fulvofulcra Cooke. 
_ Several specimens of the so-called Microsphera fulvoful- 
cra from different localities have been examined and com- 
Specimens. They may all be embraced in the following de- 
scription, a part of which is, quoted from Mr. Howe's org- 
‘nal description in Bulletin Torrey Bot. Club, v, p. 3: 
2 
