792 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Bermudas. He shows, however, that the very destructive disease to 

 which the crop is subject in those islands is due to the attacks of the 

 white mildew, Peronospora ScMeideniana ; the black mildew, or Macro- 

 sporium jparasiticum, appearing only on plants already enfeebled by 

 disease. 



Peach- Yellow.* — Mr. E. F. Smith gives a preliminary report on a 

 disease which affects peach-trees in the United States. It is not certain 

 whether peach-yellow is due to a fungus or to bacteria, but the author gives 

 a list of the fungi which attack peach-trees. TapJirina deformans Tul. is 

 found on the leaves ; SjjTiserotheca pannosa Lev. also attacks the leaves ; 

 while Puccinia Pruni spinosse P. brings about their premature fall ; 

 Oidium fructigenum Kze. et Sch. attacks the fruit ; Cladosporium 

 carpopliyllum Thiim. developes on the surface of the leaves and fruit ; 

 Ascospora Persicse Sacc. is found on the lower surface of the leaves ; 

 and finally Capnodium, elongatum Bk. et Desm. and Polyporus versicolor 

 Fr. are also found on the peach. 



Boletopsis, a new Genus of Hymenomycetes.f — M. V. Fayod 

 separates from the genus Polyporus P. meluleucus Pers., in consequence 

 of the character of the spores, which, instead of being white and ovoid, 

 are angular, and when seen in quantities, flesh-coloured. The following 

 is his diagnosis of the new genus : — 



Boletopsis. Thallus carnoso-lentus subnudus (cuticula pilei adum- 

 brata), pileo (semper) centraliter stipitato, strato tubulifero tenui, carneo, 

 inseparabili. Poris albis, minutis, dein laceratis. Trama homomorpha, 

 densa, e hyphis tenuibus plus minusve dispersis, subLymenio carens. 

 Basidia 2-4 stigmatica, parvula. Sporse gibbosse-angulos^, carnese. 



Dispersion of the Spores of Fung-i by Insects. J— Dr. T. W. Fulton 

 describes the rapid growth, immediately before maturity, of the hymeno- 

 phore of Phallus impudicus, and the mode in which it deliquesces when 

 the spores are ripe. The foetid fluid thus formed is exceedingly 

 attractive to flies, which carry away enormous numbers of spores, 

 both attached to and within their bodies. It was ascertained by experi- 

 ment that passage through the body of a fly does not destroy the vitality 

 of the spores. 



Other contrivances for attracting flies for a similar purpose, such as 

 a flower-like form or bright colour of the receptacle, are, according to 

 the author, manifested by others of the Phalloidese and by species of 

 Coprinus. 



Mycetozoa. 



Colouring-matters of Mycetozoa.§ — Prof, W. Zojjf gives an account 

 of the lipochromes or fatty pigments found in various species of 

 Mycetozoa, especially in the following : — Stemonitis ferruginea, S. fusca, 

 Lycogala epidendron, L. fiavo-fuscum. The more important general 

 results of the investigation are stated to be that the pigment in all these 

 four species belongs to the yellow series. The spectrum of the pure 

 lipochrome of Lycogala shows several peculiarities. Besides the two 

 wull-known absorption-bands, one in F, the other between F and G 



* ' Peacli-yellow,' Wasliington, ]S'88. See Rev. Mycol., xi. (1889) pp lGO-3 

 t Malpighia, iii. (18^9) pp. 69-73 (3 figs.). 



J Arm. of Bot., iii. (18^9) pp. 207-37 (1 jil.). 

 § Flora, Ixxii. (1889) pp. 353-Gl (1 fig.). C'f. 



this Jfjurnal. -udc, p. .j'JO. 



