ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 271 



by any mycologist. The author, however, had the good fortune to find 

 it early in last November, on horse dung, in the forest of Montmorency. 

 It formed little tubercules of a vinous red colour, which were 1 to 4 mm. 

 in diameter and 1 to 2 mm. in thickness. They resemble little groups 

 of Ascophanus carneus. These tubercules were hard and not gelatinous ; 

 they were formed of septated and ramifying filaments, which were 2 to 

 3 /x in diameter. The spores were colourless, ovoid-oblong, slightly 

 fusiform, and finely granular in the interior. The fructification is not 

 that of the true Tremellee, but of the genus Helicobasidium. This, then, 

 will form a new species in that genus under the name Helicoba$i<U"iu 

 fimetarium. 



New Genera of Asconiycetes, Oleina and Podocapsa.* — IT. P. Van 

 Tieghem describes two new genera of Ascomycetes, which he states are 

 especially interesting, as they form their asci without any phenomena 

 which may be interpreted as an expression of sexuality. 



Oleina was discovered when making researches on the vegetation 

 occurring in oil. The thallus is composed of straight filaments, septated 

 and branched, and projecting here and there into the oil. The filaments 

 resemble those found in other Ascomycetes, notably Aspergillus clavatus. 

 Here and there towards the edge of the cultures certain branches are 

 septated more closely, and the short cells thus separated become of an 

 ovoid or spherical form. These are the cysts, and are analogous to 

 those found among the Mncorini, where they are called chlamjdospores. 

 When the thallus has fully developed it produces asci, varying in position 

 according to the species. 



Podocapisa was observed as a singular production on the surface of 

 the sporangiferous filaments of a JLucor. Each individual was composed 

 of an ovoid, polysporous ascus, borne on a cylindrical pedicel, and 

 attached to the Manor by three or four cells at the base. The whole 

 was not more than 0"04 mm. in height. The ascus is separated from 

 the pedicel by a transverse wall, and incloses 32 colourless fusiform 

 spores, 8 /a long by 3 ^ broad, which are agglomerated together for 

 some time by a gelatinous substance. 



Asci of Penicillium crustaceum.j — Herr H. Zukal does not agree 

 with Brefeld in his statement that the sclerotia of this fungus are the 

 result of an act of impregnation. He finds the mode of their forma- 

 tion to be altogether analogous to that of the sclerotia of Aspergillus, 

 from the vegetative intertwining of perfectly equivalent hyphaa. After 

 remaining at rest for a period of four or five weeks, the central portion 

 of the sclerotium degenerates and becomes converted into mucilage. 

 From the inner wall of the hollow thus formed proceeded delicate hyphae, 

 which in eight or nine weeks produced the asci. 



Formation of Sporangia and Spores in the Saprolegniese.J — Herr 

 W. Eothert has examined the mode of development of the sporangia in 

 this order, especially in Saprolegnia Thureti and nwnoica. The results 

 differ in some points from those attained by Strasburger and Biisgen. 



The earlier stages in the separation of the sporangium from the 

 sporangiophore are described in detail. Before the differentiation of the 



* Morot's Journ. Bot. i. (1SS7) pp. 289-96 (2 figs.), 

 t SB. K. K. Zool.-Bot. Gesell. Wlen, xxxvii. (1S87) p. 66. 



t SB. Krak. Akad. Wiss., xvii. (1SS7) pp. 1-67 (1 pi.). Bot. Cmtralbl., xxxii. 

 C1SS7) p. 322. 



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