1013] BRIEFER ARTICLES 399 
Search through the literature of described species revealed no plant 
of like character. It is therefore described as a new species, and pro- 
visionally placed in the genus Poria, although it is recognized that the 
plants of this genus are a heterogeneous group which sooner or later will 
be separated into several genera or distributed among the genera of 
pileate forms with which they correspond in texture and other characters 
The specific name atrosporia is given because of the abundance of dark 
spores. A technical description is as follows: 
Poria atrosporia, n. sp.—Mycelium within the substratum or in a 
superficial layer of soft cottony or thin papery consistency; color pale 
umbrinous:. sporophore resupinate, broadly effused, easily separable: 
margin sterile, pale umbrinous: hymenophore porose, not stratose, very 
fragile and friable when dry; pores 1-5 mm. deep, dissepiments thin, 
mouths irregular to subrotund, 1-5 to a mm.: trama pale umbrinous, 
but pores deep fuligineous because of the abundance of dark spores; 
spores oval, dark brown, 4-5.5X8-10; cystidia none. Habitat, 
structural timber of coniferous wood. 
Mycelio substratum penetrante vel stratum superficitum byssinum vel 
papyraceum formante; sporophora resupinata, late effusa, a matrice separabilis; 
margine sterili, umbrino-pallido; poris non stratosis, siccatis fragilis et 
friabilis, 1-5 mm. longis; parietibus tenuibus; ore irregulari vel subcirculari, 
I-§ quoquemm.: trama umbrina-pallida sed poris fuligineis ob copiosos 
umbrinos; sporis ovatis 4-5.58-10p; cystidiis nullis. Hab. ad ligna fab- 
ricata coniferarum.—ADELINE AMES, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 
A SAFETY RAZOR MODIFIED FOR CUTTING HAND-SECTIONS 
(WITH ONE FIGURE) 
Since the advent of the many styles of “safety razors,” biologists 
have looked with covetous eye upon their keen and cheap blades, seem- 
ingly unadapted to any purpose except that intended by the manu- 
facturer. Microtomists have produced several devices to utilize these 
keen edges and at the same time hold the blades solidly so as to avoid 
trembling, but, so far as I am aware, none of these razors has been used 
for hand-sectioning, or, if the blades have been used, the handles have 
been of no assistance. 
Some time ago, needing section razors for the use of large classes, I 
looked over the various kinds of safety razors for sale in shops and found 
among them one known as the “ Durham-Duplex,” which, by slight 
modification, has become very well adapted to the purposes for which 
