92 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



at the base, and above this several cells support the spore cavity. 

 The sporidia are mostly spindle shaped, divided in the middle, at 

 first contained in asci, which speedily disappear. Beside the 

 upper portion of the club, and near the base of the perithecium, 

 is usually a projection on one side with thread-like processes 

 proceeding from the apex, called pseudoparaphysis." 



The Laboulbeniacese are found mostly on Coleoptera. Mr. 

 French says that the following genera are indigenous to Victoria, 

 and as these fungi have been found on them elsewhere I append 

 a short list, trusting that some of our members will carefully 

 examine any beetles of these genera that may come in their way, 

 to see whether some of these minute fungi may be attached to 

 them, viz.: — Anchomenus, Bembidium, Bledius, Chloenius, 

 Harpalus, Laccophilus, Casnoria, Poederus, Platynus. 



The first entomophyte noticed from Australia was the Cordyceps 

 Taylori, which was found at the Murrumbidgee River, in 1837, 

 by Mr. Allan. The following description of this curious plant is 

 given by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley: — "Springing from the head 

 of an extremely large caterpillar, about six stems grow from the 

 same point, forming a complete cylindrical mass two and a half 

 inches long, three-quarters of an inch thick, connate, slightly 

 branched and anastomising ; expanded slightly upwards and 

 giving off a branch of short, much compressed, forked and pal- 

 mate branches, which are dotted above with the perithecia. The 

 apices are somewhat pointed. The colour of the whole is a deep 

 red brown, inclining to tawny when dry. The whole of the 

 branches are clothed with a very thin coat of extremely short 

 irregular flocci, which give the surface a dull appearance when 

 dry. They are at first solid, but at length become hollow." 



A portion of the caterpillar is filled with a white corky sub- 

 stance, for the root is more or less coated with a spongy mass, 

 consisting of very slightly branched wavy threads. Dr. Joseph 

 Hooker, speaking of this fungus, says : — " This fungus was picked 

 up on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, ten miles from the 

 township of Yass, in a rich, thick alluvial soil, with many others 

 of the same kind. When fresh it was eight inches long, and 

 three inches of the fungus from the nape of the neck were buried 

 underground, on the surface of which is the oval or circular 

 flower-like bunch of branches, of a brown velvety appearance 

 when fresh. The caterpillar has a great resemblance to the 

 green wattle caterpillar which produces a large brown moth." 



Since the discovery of this Cordyceps by Mr. Allen a number 

 of other species of the same family have been found. Dr. Cooke, 

 in his large work on Australian Fungi, describes several species 

 of Cordyceps found in Victoria. Amongst these the most pertinent 

 to our subject is Cordyceps Gunnii, The species was first discovered 

 in Tasmania by Mr. Gunn, who gives the following description of 



