250 REVIEW-—BRITISH PHYCOMYCETES AND USTILAGINE. 
who expect to be able to name everything before they have devoted 
any time to the acquisition of even an elementary knowledge of 
external morphology. 
The enormous development of the sporophore in such groups as 
the Agarics and puffballs where only the asexual reproductive method 
is known is emphasised, these being so widely divergent from the 
lower fungi, which are morphologically like the Algeze as well as 
physiologically like them in the matter of sexual reproduction. The 
oga 
should like to have read a short discourse on this phenomenon 
by the author. We would suggest to the author that the abundant 
formation of calcium oxalate may be protective to the young 
sporophores ; it is certainly protective against slugs in such plants as 
the aroids. The statement is made that the cystidia are chiefly con- 
cerned in transpiration, so that they are equivalent in function to 
the stomata of the higher plants. 
We are glad to learn that the author is more sensible than the 
majority of lichenologists in that he does not believe in the 
autonomous nature of lichens. In addition to the thorough treat- 
ment of the general morphology of the fungi, that of the J7yxogastres 
and Bacteria is also dealt with; then follow the methods of collec- 
tion, preservation, and examination, before classification is dealt 
The method of the latter adopted is a modification of that of 
not forgotten, and an old but puzzling aquaintance appears as 
Schinzia sipsthatlats Abaice Pranks 5 anid will be familiar to many of our 
readers as Causing the t t on various Leguminous 
roots; these —— have been shown to contain mycelium by 
Prof. Marshall Ward ; according to this the plant cannot be longer 
claimed by either the bacteriologist or the myxogastrophilist ; Ward 
considers it to belong to the Ustilaginee. Still, the bacteriologists 
for quite recently Prof. P. F. Frankland, when —— on these 
tubercles at the Royal Institution, said ‘That in many cases, each 
particular leguminous plant is provided with its se gps micro- 
organism.’ Is it a case of symbiosis of three organism 
The book bears the stamp of one evidently outa familiar 
with the subject-matter, and even no advanced student of the groups 
of which it treats can read it without benefit; we shall be glad to see 
the ‘other volumes dealing with the remainder of the ioe which 
‘it is — will not be long delayed.’ _ WwW. W 
Naturalist, 
