Apbil 1, 1910] 



SCIENCE 



513 



species of Chrysophlyctis is shown to be the 

 cause of a canker of the tubers which has 

 been very destructive in Europe and has now 

 appeared in Newfoundland. It produces 

 rough nodules which emerge from the " eyes " 

 and enlarge and spread over the surface of the 

 tubers. So too the botanist will find much of 

 interest in E. E. Smith's " Report of the 

 Plant Pathologist " in Bull. 203 of the Cali- 

 fornia Experiment Station, including as it 

 does discussions of pear blight, walnut blight, 

 apricot diseases, brown rot, etc., with a list of 

 plant diseases additional to those previously 

 reported. One of the most useful of recent 

 papers on plant diseases is Professor Heald's 

 " Symptoms of Disease in Plants " in Bull. 

 135 of the University of Texas. While os- 

 tensibly addressed to " persons engaged in 

 general farming," it will prove to be one of 

 the most useful introductions to plant pathol- 

 ogy available for the young botanist. Here in 

 an orderly sequence the principal aspects of 

 plant diseases are brought before the reader in 

 a lucid text aided by excellent photographs 

 which have been well reproduced in " half- 

 tones." K the author would make an index 

 to this paper, and have it cheaply bound it 

 would be an excellent little book (of about 

 65 pages) for use in the classes in agriculture 

 in the high schools. 



NOMENCLATURE OF THE FUNGI 



A TEAR ago twenty-six prominent American 

 students of the fungi formulated " Motions 

 for Additional Articles Relating to the Nomen- 

 clature of the Fungi to be presented at the 

 International Botanical Congress at Brussels 

 in May of the present year." The motions 

 advocate (A) beginning mycological nomen- 

 clature with the " Systema Myeologicum " of 

 Fries, 1821-1832; (B) the interpretation of 

 the Friesian " tribes " of Agaricus as genera 

 in the modern sense; (C) the making of a 

 list of genera fungorum conservanda, in spite 

 of the law of priority; (D) the application of 

 the present rules as to generic names of mono- 

 morphic fungi ; (E) the recognition and reten- 

 tion of the generic names of the " perfect 

 form " of the pleomorphic fungi ; (F) the ap- 



plication of the present rules as to specific 

 names of monomorphic fungi; (G) the recog- 

 nition and retention of the specific names of 

 the " perfect form " of the pleomorphic fungi, 

 with certain modifying provisions. It is 

 further " recommended " that authors add 

 figures to their diagnoses; that they conform 

 to Recommendations VIII.-XIV. of the 

 Vienna Code; that they indicate type species 

 in genera. 



Quite recently there has come to hand a 

 paper by Professor W. G. Farlow, entitled 

 " A Consideration of the Species Plantarum 

 of Linnaeus as a Basis for the Starting Point 

 of the Nomenclature of Cryptogams," which 

 shows conclusively the inadvisability of using 

 the Linnaean work, for the fungi at any rate. 

 While he does not pronounce definitely upon 

 the matter, he shows some very good reasons 

 for preferring the " Systema Myeologicum " 

 of Fries. In passing he throws the weight 

 of his authority in favor of a list of genera 

 conservanda, saying " there is nothing illog- 

 ical in this, and practically there are great 

 advantages." 



From the foregoing it may be fairly pre- 

 dicted what wiU be the outcome of the Brus- 

 sels Congress, and for the most part it seems 

 good to the present writer, who, while not 

 daring to hope for a perfectly satisfactory 

 code, is ready to accept the best that can be 

 made now, while still hoping for its better- 

 ment in future congresses. 



DESCRIPTIVE BOTANY OF THE FLOWERING PLANTS 



Dr. Millspaugh continues in Publication 

 136 of the Field Columbian Museum his 

 " Praenuciae Bahamenses," this being No. II., 

 and including a map of the Bahaman Archi- 

 pelago, a list of the collectors, observations 

 and descriptions of new species (the latter in 

 Latin!), a list of native plant names, and an 

 index to I. and II. From the index we learn 

 that in the two parts three new genera and 

 fifty-three new species or new combinations 

 have been described. 



J. N. Rose and J. A. Purpus describe 

 " Three New Species of Echeveria from 

 Southern Mexico " in the Contributions from 



