September 10, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



251 



tion found that Oospora verticilloides was 

 parasitic on corn. Deckenbach's work was 

 published in Russian journals from 1896 to 

 1899, and after Tiraboschi's paper was pub- 

 lished, Deckenbach reviewed his original work 

 in Centr. BaU., 1 Abt. Originale, 45 :507-512. 

 1907. 



It is probable that this fungus has been 

 recorded under other generic names by some 

 writers. Cephalosporium saccharic described 

 by Butler as a sugar cane parasite in India, 

 accords very well with otu* fungus, except that 

 the conidia in chains were not noted by him. 

 The distinctions between Cephalosporium, 

 Acrostalagmus, Veriicillium and similar gen- 

 era are slight, and as the chains of spores of 

 our fungus are not always easily found, this 

 corn parasite may sometimes have been classed 

 in one of these genera. The writers find, 

 however, that the conidia are produced in two 

 different ways : at first they are aggregated in 

 small droplets at the ends of the short, some- 

 times verticillate, lateral branches of the erect 

 fertile hyphse, and later produced in long 

 chains on the ends of the upper branches. In 

 older cultures septate spores are occasionally 

 found and if a Fusarium stage should develop 

 our fungTis would have to be referred to 

 Sheldon's Fusarium moniliforme which would 

 then better be called Fusarium veriiciUoides. 



J. B. S. ISTORTON, 



C. C. Chen 

 Maryland Agricultural Experiment 

 Station 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS 



Orihopiera of Northeastern America with 

 Special Reference to the Faunas of Indiana 

 and Florida. By W. S. Blatchley. May, 

 1920. Indianapolis: The Nature Publish- 

 ing Co.; 8vo, Y84 pages, 246 text figures and 

 Y plates. 



This work comprises a very full considera- 

 tion of the 353 species and 58 varieties of 

 Orthoptera recorded from the region covered, 

 and is the most comprehensive treatise on 

 this group of insects so far published in 

 America. While prepared more especially for 

 the tjrro, this volume contains a wealth of 



assembled information of undoubted value to 

 professional workers. As clearly set forth on 

 pages 5 to 7 of the introduction, this work 

 portrays the individual ideas of the author as 

 to the systematic value of taxonomic char- 

 acters used in classification. The conclu- 

 sions reached, while not always in accord with 

 recent usage, appear to be generally sound. 



The biology and anatomy of the Orthoptera 

 are treated at some length and the parasites 

 and other enemies of the group are discussed. 

 Economic questions are covered and the col- 

 lection and preservation of specimens fully 

 treated. The systematic portion includes 

 dichotomous keys to suborders, families, 

 genera and species. The derivation of generic 

 names is given when known and many species 

 are figured. The illustrations are mostly 

 taken from previously published works, but 

 the figures are well selected for the purpose of 

 the present manual. Under each species is a 

 description followed by notes on synonymy, 

 distribution, habits, etc. Citations to litera- 

 ture are made by reference to a chronologic- 

 ally arranged author's bibliography. A glos- 

 sary of terms used is given and there are two 

 indices, one of synonyms with generic assign- 

 ment and one of genera and species as here 

 treated. 



There is in general little to criticize in this 

 very admirable treatise, though a critical re- 

 view written by any specialist would probably 

 point out a number of details considered open 

 to si)ecial criticism. As is inevitable with a 

 volume of this size a number of typographical 

 and other errors occur. But on the whole it 

 is a carefully prepared work, and one which 

 will be indispensable to all students and col- 

 lectors of these insects. 



A. N. Caudell 



Bureau of Entomology, 

 U. S. Dept. op Agriculture 



Manual of the Orthoptera of New England, 

 including Locusts, Grasshoppers, Crickets, 

 and their allies. By Albert P. Morse. 

 April, 1920. Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 

 Vol. XXXV., p. 197-556, text-figures 1-99 

 and plates X-XXIX. " 



