ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 293 



Aspergillus Oryzae.* — Herr M. Biisgen has investigated the 

 properties of this mould, the agent in the fermentation of the 

 Japanese drink " sake," The mycelium consists of branching 

 and septated filaments 7/x in thickness ; the conidiophores attain a 

 length of 1 mm,, and the heads of conidia resemble those of 

 A. repens. The sterigmata are unbranched, and the greenish-yellow 

 conidia 5-7yu, in diameter, and finely verrucote. Perithecia have not 

 been observed. The author considers it certain that this fungus is a 

 producer of diastase. 



Poisonous Properties of the Morel, t — Herr E, Jacobasch has 

 investigated the alleged poisonous properties of Helvella escidenta. 

 He concludes that in all circumstances it is extremely dangerous to 

 eat the freshly-gathered fungus raw. Hot water dissolves out a sub- 

 stance which renders it extremely poisonous. If kept for a fortnight 

 it is still dangerous ; and it is only when kept for six or twelve 

 months that it can be eaten without suspicion. 



Peziza baccarum.| — Dr. M. Woronin describes the hitherto 

 undetected gonidial form of this fungus, the selerotia of which cause 

 tlie bleaching of the fruits of Vaccinium Myrtillm var. leiicocarpum. 

 The conidia can be made to germinate in water, and produce round 

 spermatia-like sporidia. Their germination on the stigma of the 

 Vaccinium produces filaments which penetrate into the ovary, and 

 there give rise to selerotia which almost entirely replace the tissue of 

 the berry. Similar parasites attack also the berries of other species 

 of Vaccinium. 



Agaricus cirrhatus, a new phosphorescent Fungus,§ — Dr. F. 

 Ludwig found a number of specimens of Agaricus (Collt/bia^ cirrhatus 

 Pers,, the long slender bent stipites of which sprang from small pale- 

 yellow or reddish-yellow selerotia. In the dark, distinct phosphor- 

 escence was exhibited by the selerotia at the spots from which the 

 fructifications sprang, and by the pieces of moss and decaying grass- 

 stems, &c,, in connection with them. 



Pestalozzia. || — Sig. P, Voglino publishes a monograph of this 

 genus of Fungi, in which the following new species are described, 

 viz, — P. Montellica, on oak-leaves near Treviso ; P. affinis, on grape- 

 clusters and nut-branches in France ; and P. abietina, on fir-cones in 

 Northern Italy, Carinthia, and North America. The author retains 

 the three subgenera of Saccardo, viz. Eu-pestalozzia, Monochastia, 

 and Pestalozzina. 



Bommerella, a new genus of Pyrenomycetes.l" — M. E. Marchal 

 gives the following description of this new genus : — " Fungus conidio- 



* Ber. Deutsch. Bot, Gesell. Generalversammlung, 1885, pp. Ixvi.-lxxi. Cf. 

 this Journal, v. (1885) p. 1045. 



t Verhandl. Bot. Ver. Prov. Brandenburg, xxv. (1884) pp. ii.-viii. 



X Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesell. Generalversammlung, 1885, pp. lix.-lxii. 



§ Hedwigia, xxiv. (1885) pp. 250-1. 



II Atti Soc. Veneto-Trentina Sci. Nat., ix. (18S5), Fasc. 2 (3 pis.). See Bot. 

 Centralbl., xxiv. (1885) p. 34. 



t CR. Soc. R. Bot. Bulgiquc, 1885, pp. 169-70. 



