ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 265 



Lily Disease.* — Prof. H. M. Ward discusses the cause of certain 

 discolourations in tlie form of orange-brown and buff specks which 

 appear on the stems, pedicels, leaves, and buds of the white lily (^Lilium 

 candidum). He traces the development and describes the structure of 

 the fungus which causes them, and which he states belongs to the genus 

 Botrytis, and the section known as Polyactis, and is probably a gonidial 

 stage in the life-history of some Peziza ; whether the alternative form 

 is developed on some other plant, or whether it is lost, cannot be said. 

 It is quite conceivable, however, that, in consequence of their pronounced 

 parasitism, this fungus and Phytophthora infestans may have lost their 

 alternative form. The fungus is characterized by some of its branches 

 forming cross-connections which it is very difficult to distinguish from a 

 true process of conjugation, and by some of the free branches developing 

 into singular organs of attachment which glue themselves to solid bodies 

 and display an irritability to contact. 



Saccharomyces AUii, sp. n.f — A new species of blastomycete has 

 been found by Prof. N. Sorokin on bulbs of Allium cepa, which were 

 being destroyed and reduced to a gelatinous condition, accompanied by 

 the development of a powerful odour. Microscopical examination of the 

 diseased bulbs showed numerous bacteria and a ferment fungus, 

 Saccharomyces AUii. Healthy bulbs inoculated from the diseased ones 

 rapidly succumbed with the presence of the same micro-organisms, only 

 one of which is seen at the commencement of the disease, S. AUii. The 

 cells of this fungus are from 3-15 /x long and 3-4 /a broad ; they 

 contain one large or several small vacuoles, and one or two small 

 nucleoli. The cells increase by budding, and are very variable in size 

 and arrangement. 



Polydesmus petalicolor, sp. n.J — This micro-organism was found on 

 certain asters by Prof. N. Sorokin, and causes a black broad streak on 

 the corona. It consists of a colourless branched mycele, the filaments of 

 which are composed of cells of various size and shape. The plasma is 

 granular, and contains numerous oil-drops. The mycele is entirely 

 epiphytic, and forms a rather thick layer, which is quite colourless. 

 From the mycele rise brown hyphse, which are for the most part 

 unbranched. At the extremity of the brown hyphae there are formed 

 spores, which may or not be spherical. These spores are not necessarily 

 of the same shape and size. The spores may also collect together in 

 chains of 2-5 individuals. The only organism which at all resembles 

 Polydesmus petalicolor is P. exitiosus. Of this there are two varieties, 

 luxuriosus and alternarioides. The latter resembles the form described 

 by the author, but is distinguishable from that fungus in that 



(1) P. exitiosus is a true parasite, i. e. penetrates the tissue of the 

 plant, while P. petalicolor is an epiphyte. 



(2) P. exitiosus has smooth spores ; those oi P . petalicolor are coyeied 

 with prominences. 



(3) In P. exitiosus the spores are seated singly on the hyphae, while 

 in P. petalicolor two or three may be gathered together. 



(4) Spores of P. petalicolor are never seated on such short hyphae as 

 those of P. exitiosus. 



* Ann. of Bot., ii. (1888) pp. 319-82 (5 pis.). 



t Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. u. Parasitenk., iv. (1888) pp. 641-4 (5 figs.). 

 X T. c, pp. 647-9 (16 figs.). 

 18S9. T 



