ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MIGEOSGOPY, ETC. 685 



the sterigma remains without any middle lamella, and there is no 

 sharp separation between the wall of the sterigma and that of the 

 spore ; the sterigma is merely closed at its apex by the cell-wall of the 

 spore. This wall either becomes detached, when the spore falls off, 

 by an annular zone close to the spore, or at a certain distance from it ; 

 the point of detachment can be detected on the sterigraas which no 

 longer bear spores by a more or less marked indentation, as in 

 Corticium amorphuin. To this class belong the Hymenomycetes and 

 Entomophthoreas. 



The actual detachment of the acrospores of fungi may be effected 

 in either of the two following ways : — (1) by special contrivances for 

 forcible detachment, when the spores are thrown off with considerable 

 force, as in Empusa and the Hymenomycetes ; (2) by the solution of 

 the gelatinous central lamella in water, or by its drying up, as in 

 Cystopus, Penicillium, Peronospora, Botrytis, and Ghcetocladium. 



The formation of the sporidia on the promycelium of Puccinia and 

 some Ustilaginese does not appear to differ in any essential point from 

 that of the spores of Hymenomycetes. 



Fungus parasitic on a mature Coleopter.* — H. Hoffmann de- 

 scribes a fungus which he found growing from between the upper and 

 lower maxillffi of a coleopter {Carabus sp.), and which appears 

 identical with Torruhia cinerea, described by Tulasne as parasitic on 

 a larva, also of a Carabus. The brown mycelium and the peritheeium 

 of Tulasne's species were however not seen. On account of the more 

 abundant branching of the upper part of the main stem, the author 

 proposes for it the varietal name hracMata. 



New or Little-known Parasitic Fungi, f — B. Frank describes the 

 following pathogenous fungi which are either new or hitherto but 

 imperfectly described : — 



1. Fusicladium tremuloBH. sp. ; on the aspen, destroying the leaves, 

 which it turns dark brown or black, especially towards the summit of 

 the young shoots. No mode of reproduction was observed except by 

 means of the conidia, which are produced in great abundance, the ger- 

 minating filaments attaching themselves to the host by means of 

 " appressors " or organs of attachment. Frank thinks that several 

 generations can be produced in the course of a single summer. 



2. Glceospot'ium Undemuthianum Sacc, and Mag. ; on the French 

 bean, Phaseolus vulgaris ; but only on the green unripe legume, on 

 which it produces brown spots, doing great damage. 



3. Poly stigma ruhrum Tul. ; producing red spots on plum-leaves. 

 This fungus belongs to the Pyrenomycetes, and the author considers 

 that it places beyond doubt the function of the spermatia, as the male 

 elements which fertilize a female organ by means of a trichogyne, 

 this process resulting in the production of a peritheeium. This 

 process he describes as always taking place outside the leaf on it8 

 under side. 



4. Hypochnus Cucumeris n. sp. This is a hymenomycetous fungus, 



* Flora, Ixvi. (1883) p. 380 (1 pi.). 



t Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesellsch., i. (1883) pp. 29-34, 58-63. 

 Ser. 2.— Vol. III. 2 Z 



