ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 489 



uow describes a second in the case of Merulius lacrijmans. Of this 

 polymorphic fungus he describes five distinct forms, giving to the one 

 in question the name ohverse-polyporoides, which was observed in one 

 locality only. In a pileus of ordinary structure the hymenium 

 disappeared from the under side, and then from its upper and under 

 sides and margin sprang other small ones horizontally. From these 

 there separated after a time from the convex upper side a delicate 

 pellicle or velum partiale, exposing minute tubes, the concave under 

 side remaining sterile. Only a hymenium spurium occurs. The 

 apices of the hyphas, from which the tubes are constructed, project 

 slightly into the cavity and produce ovo-spherical spores, 3-4 /u, long, 

 which are at first hyaline, and afterwards slightly coloured. The 

 flesh has a somewhat unpleasant tinder-liko odour. All the parts are 

 at first white, becoming subsequently brownish-yellow or brown. 

 There is no exudation of droj)s of water. 



Gymnoascacese.* — In an account by Eidam of a new series of 

 investigations into the structure of this small family of Ascomycetes, 

 he states their common distinguishing character to be the absence or 

 only defective presence of a true enclosed fructification, the asci being 

 nearly or completely exposed, whether they are solitary or arranged 

 in groups, or on a dense hymenium. From the family he eliminates 

 the genera Endomyces, SaccJiaromyces, and Protomyces ; considering 

 the second of these to belong more properly to the Phycomycetes 

 near the Mucorini, and the last to be more nearly allied to the 

 Chytridiacefe. The genera which properly belong to the family he 

 classifies as under : — 



I. Parasites ; living in the tissue of leaves and fruits, 



1. Ascomyces. No mycelium : asci 8-spored. 



2. Taplirina. Mycelium rudimentary : asci many-spored. 



3. Exoascus. jjlycelium much-branched and septated ; asci 



naked on a simple hymenium. 

 II. Saprojihytes : with lai-ge mycelium. 



4. Ascodesmis. Hymenium dense, bearing the paraphyses 



and asci ; envelope completely wanting. 



5. Gymnoascus. Asci formed in aggregations of the my- 



celium, which clothes the asci with a loose aud inter- 

 rupted enveloj^e. 



With regard to the systematic jiosition of the family, the four first 

 genera show an affinity to the Discomycetes, the fifth to the Pyreno- 

 mycetes. 



The author follows out the development of Ascodesmis and of 

 Gymnoascus Beessii. In the latter he diflers somewhat from the 

 account given by Baranetzky, On a segmented mycelial filament is 

 formed a lateral branch, which winds spirally round the next adjacent 

 cell of the mother-filament, becoming closely attached to it, and 

 sometimes embracing also another neighbouring mycelial filament in 

 the same way. The cell which is thus enveloped then breaks up into 



* Colm's Beitr. Biol. Pflanzen, iii. (ISSn) pp. 2C>7^?,0]. 



