4:8 H, MARSHALL WARD. 



doubt that Eidam has opened a question of great importance, and 

 succeeded in showing that variability occurs in these processes — 

 whether due to conditions of temperature, nutrition, moisture, &c, or 

 not, cannot yet be determined. There are facts to support this, and 

 indeed Eidam has shown this in some examples. 



Concerning Uremascus, where a true conjugation takes place between 

 the apices of two similar hyphse coiled round one another like a double 

 screw, it is not easy to see why the product of the sexual act (a glo- 

 bular body situated between the conjugating apices) should not rather 

 be termed a zygospore than an ascus. The fact of its containing eight 

 "spores" instead of one, is no more peculiar than in the case of the 

 SaprolegniEe, where an oogonium may contain one to twelve or many 

 more oospheres. Eidam recognises the general similarity to Zygo- 

 sporece, but gives no adequate reasons for choosing the name " ascus" 

 in preference to "zygospore." The eight-spored body would be an 

 extremely anomalous ascus ; but it is impossible to decide the matter 

 until the asexual spores are discovered. It is interesting to note, 

 however, that the so-called " asci " arise parthenogenetically in rare 

 cases. 



The main results of Eidam's observations go to prove that in apo- 

 gamous forms there may be more or less indications of certain rudi- 

 mentary organs — antheridial branches (?) — but they do not seem to 

 establish his conclusions that sexuality exists in these forms. Of 

 course it is open to imagine that the sexual act comes in now and 

 again, as Eidam suggests, but no one acquainted with the facts will 

 lay stress on this supposition. 



If we now turn from the Ascomycetes to the other groups of fungi, 

 the chief papers published lately are not very numerous. 



The most important, probably, is Woronin's memoir on the Ustila- 

 ginece, 1 and his description of the hitherto little-understood Tubercinia 

 trientalis. Woronin devoted much time to this investigation, com- 

 menced sixteen years ago. We may shortly summarise the life-history 

 as follows : 



In May and June the under side of Trientalis leaves are apt to be 

 covered with white patches. These consist of the colourless conidia, 2 

 supported on long hyphse, much like those of Ramularia, Peronospora, 



1 'Abhandl. Senk. Nat. f. Gesellschaft,' B. xii, H. iv, 1881. 



2 These are true conidia, homologous with those of Ascomycetes, and have nothing to do 

 with the ordinary spores and " sporidia." 



