ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY. ETC. 491 



stand out on one side and are curved, gradually assuming a liorn- 

 like appearance, which, however, disappears with the further develop- 

 ment of the ball ; the hyphi» continue to develope, taking the form 

 characteristic of the genus, torulose or comb- or saw-shaped, the 

 terminal branches appearing as if coiled like a corkscrew. The 

 spores are in the meantime developed within the asci, which are 

 apparently unstalked, almost globular, 4-5 /a in diameter ; the spores 

 being about 2 /x long, and 0-9-1-1/x broad, nearly cylindrical in 

 form and 8 in an ascus. The diagnosis of Ctenomyces is thus given: — 

 Pericarp of the ascus-conglomeration not cuticularized, closed on all 

 sides, colourless or very pale yellow, composed of an interwoven, 

 loosely stratified comb- or bead-like web of hyph« permeated by 

 numerous air-cavities, but most resembling the perithecium of the 

 higher Ascomycetes, and especially of the GymnoascaceaB. The 

 conglomeration originates from two hyphse, the one a club-shaped 

 mycelial filament, the other a coiled ascogenous spiral ; each is 

 almost always surrounded by its own pericarp. The asci and 

 ascospores are very small and delicate, all of the latter in the 

 same ball always ripening simultaneously. Conidia upon simple 

 conidiophores, formed singly, or in groups, or in closed conidial 

 agglomerations. 



The author next describes in detail the development of a new 

 species of Gymnoascus, G. uncinatus, found on the droj)pings of 

 sparrows. It consists of roundish hyphal agglomerations, covered on 

 the outside with numerous long, beautifully curved branches. The 

 course of development is essentially the same as in G. JReessii. The 

 asci are ovoid or pear-shaped, with a diameter of 8*5-9/x, ; the spores 

 spherical or somewhat ovoid, orange-coloured, and about 3'5 fx in 

 length. 



The author considers that this peculiar and complicated structure 

 points immistakably to the origin of the asci of the GymnoascaceaB 

 from a yet undiscovered act of impregnation. 



Gloeosporium reticulatum Mt. in France.*— This parasite made 

 its appearance on melons in the neighbourhood of Chalons-sui'-Marne 

 in August 1880, during cold, rainy weather, spreading until it had 

 destroyed about half the crop. The layers of spores are gelatinous, 

 arranged in regular circles, coalescent, and from 1*5 to 6 cm. in 

 diameter ; the basidia are short, densely crowded, uubranched, 15-20 /x 

 long, and 3-5 /x thick ; the spores are fusiform, curved, colourless, 

 unicellular, 16-18 [x long, 5-6 /x broad. This fungus was originally 

 described by Montague as a Fusariiim, and by Passerini as F. lage- 

 narium ; Saccardo considers it a Gloeosporium. 



Blodgettia, a new Genus of Parasitic FungLj — Under the name 

 Blodgettia confervoicles, Harvey described what he considered a new 

 genus of green algsB belonging to the Valoniacefe, found on rocks 

 near low-water mark at Key West. A close examination of this 

 organism by Dr. E. P. Wright has convinced him that it consists of 



* Rev. Mycol., ii. (1880) pp. 169-72. 



t Truiis. R. Iritsli Acarl., xxviii. (188 1) pp. 21-G (pi. ii. figs. 1-3). 



