ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICUOSCOPY, ErC. 787 



One species only is kuown, to wliich the authors have given the name of 

 B. luteus. 



Syncliytriuni alpinum.* — Herr F. Thomas describes this new species 

 of Si/nchi/trlum, parasitic on Viola hijiora, on which it produces a largo 

 number of galls on all the parts of the plant above ground. 



Ustilagineae.f — Herr O. Brefeld has studied the development of 

 about forty species of Ustilagineae which he has induced to grow in 

 artificial nutrient solutions. They exhibit various important differences. 

 Conids were produced in great quantities, — in Ustilago carbo, U. cruenta, 

 and U. Maijdis beneath the fluid, in Tilletia caries in the air. In tlie 

 latter species and its allies mould-like tufts were formed from the conids 

 of the first culture ; in the species of Ustilago named the conids formed 

 on the short germinating filament of the ustilagospore multiplied rapidly 

 by direct sprouting at the two ends. Other species, as U. lonrjissima, 

 grandis, and bromivora, formed conids on the bicellular myceles of the 

 germinating ustilagospores, which did not sprout directly, but developed 

 first into new promyceles, on which fresh production of conids took 

 place. Other species again, as U. Crameri and lujpodijtes, formed no 

 conids from ustilagospores which germinated in nutrient solutions, but 

 only sterile germinating filaments which developed into sterile myceles. 



In the case of U. carbo the sprout-conids are produced in an unin- 

 terrupted succession of generations as the only product in nutrient 

 solutions outside the host- plant, while within it produces only ustilago- 

 spores. When the fluid is exhausted the conids put out germinating 

 filaments. The power of the conids to produce ustilagosj)ores, on which 

 the infectious property of the fungus depends, was found to be weakened 

 by time and by continued propagation outside the host-plant. 



Ustilago carbo attacks the sheaths only of the oat, and only in a 

 young state ; and this parasite does not attack barley, the rust of this 

 cereal being caused by a hitherto undescribed species U. Hordei ; its 

 spores germinated in nutrient solution without producing conids. On 

 the other hand, all young parts of Sorghum saccharatum are attacked by 

 U. cruenta. In the oat and millet the germs of the parasite (CT. carbo 

 and cruenta respectively) remain latent in the plant in the first stage of 

 germination until the production of the sexual organs, when they develope 

 in the young ovary and destroy the fructification. All parts of the 

 maize are subject to the attacks of its parasite, U. Maydis, but the 

 infection remains local. 



Pathogenic Fungus from the Human Ear. J — Dr. Lindt has culti- 

 vated from the human ear a fungus which belongs to the genus 

 Aspergillus, and has the following characteristics : — Fine short septate 

 mycele ; very short conidiophores, with pyriform ends of 22-24 jx in 

 diameter, and these bear colourless unbranched sterigmata arranged 

 raliately. The chains of spores are slightly bent away from one 

 another. The spores, which are small, have a faint green colour. The 

 colour of the fungus is bluish-green. The peritheces are round, 

 whitish, 40-60 /x large, and enveloped by a thick mycele. 'I'he wall 

 consists of several layers of polyhedral cells. The asci are 14-18 ix 



* Ber. Deulsch. Bot. Gesell., vii. (1889) pp. 255-8. 



t ' Neue Untei-3. iib. d. Bramlpilze u. d. Braudkrankheiten,' Band ii., Berlin, 1888. 

 See Bot. Centralljl., xxxix. (1889) p. 15. 



X Arch. f. experiment. Patholugif u. Phnrniakologie. xxv. (1889) p. 257. 



8 I 2 



