ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 263 



In Plaeodium saxicolum the ascogones are sometimes branclied. In 

 Lecanora subfusca, in addition to the normal yellow-green gonids, there 

 are colonies of blue-green gonids (Gloeocapsa) also surrounded by 

 the fungus-hyphse, and still other smaller gonids. The author was not 

 able to determine the connection of these with the iecawora-thallus. 

 One ascogone occasionally bears two trichogynes ; and the apotheces 

 appear to be sometimes formed of several ascogones. Both in this 

 species and in Lecidella enteroleuca, the hyphaa have apparently the 

 property of dissolving cellulose, and using it for the nutrition of the 

 plant. In this species, and in some others, especially TJsnea barhata 

 and Cornicidaria aculeata, the cavities of the functionless antherids 

 (spermogones) are filled by a weft of hyphee. 



Graphidese.* — Dr. J. Miiller describes in detail the Lichens belonging 

 to the section Graphidese, in the collection of M. Fee from Eio Janeiro. 

 A large number of new species are described, and some new genera and 

 sections proposed. 



Germination of the Spores of Sphseropsidese.t — Sig. C. Massalongo 

 describes the mode of germination of the spores in several fungi 

 belonging to this family, which closely resembles that of Saccharomyces. 

 In consequence of this peculiarity he distinguishes three new species, 

 Phyllosticta Bizzozeriana parasitic on the vine, P. Aristolochise on the 

 leaves of Aristolochia Clematitis, and Phoma Orobanches, on the dry 

 corolla of Orobanche rubens. 



Helotium parasitic on Sphagnum.^ — Herr S. Nawaschin describes 

 a parasitic fungus which he finds abundantly among the perigynial 

 leaves of the female " flowers," and also among the archegones them- 

 selves, of Spha(jnum squarrosum, and which was described by Schimper 

 as paraphyses of the moss. They constitute, in fact, the mycele of 

 a fungus, the peritheces and asci of which the author is now able to 

 describe, and establishes it as a new species under the name Helotium 

 Schimperi, nearly related to H. (Peziza) phascoides. 



Pezizse causing Cankers in Conifer8e.§ — M. P. Vuillemin states 

 that Willkomm in 1867 pointed to Corticium amorphum Fries as being 

 the fungus causing the canker in pines. The disease has been attributed 

 to several other fungi, and the author considers that the parasite of the 

 pines ought to be left in the genus Triclioscypha, by the side of 

 T. chrysophihalma, and he gives a definite diagnosis for T. calycina. 



Sclerotiniae of Vaccinium.||— Dr. M, Woronin has followed out the 

 life-history of the various species of Sclerotinia which are parasitic on 

 different species of Vaccinium. In addition to the well-known ;S^. bac- 

 carum, which attacks the berries of V. Myrtillus, causing them to turn 

 white, three new species are described : — S. Vaccinii on V. Vitis-Idsea, 

 S. Oxycocci on V. Oxycoccus, and S. megalospora on F. uliginosum. They 

 all possess the character which he terms " lipoxeny," i. e. the faculty of 

 leaving their host when the sclerote is mature in order to live on their 

 accumulated food-material. 



* Mem. Soc. Phys. et d'Hist. Nat. Genev., xxix., Part ii. (1887) 80 pp. 



t Nuov. Giorn. JBot. Ital., xx. (1888) pp. 437-40 (3 figs.). 



i Hedwigia, xxvii. (1888) pp. 306-10 (1 pL). 



§ Bull. Soc. Bot. France, xxxv. (1888) Sess. Extraord., pp. Ixiv.-lxxi. 



II Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Pe'tersb., xxxvi. (1888) No. 6, 49 pp. and 10 pis. 



