1887.] in the Neighhourhood of Simla. 859 



secidia. A patch of ordinary size measured 1 cm. in total diameter, 

 the central reddish brown part measuring 6 m.m. in diameter. The 

 patches are sometimes considerably larger, however, and more irregular 

 in shape. The secidia are tubular structures, very deeply sunk into the 

 laminal tissue, measuring about 1*75 m.m. in length, and therefore re- 

 sembling in some degree the ^cidium on Pyrus variolosa described 

 below. With very few exceptions, the secidia burst from the lower 

 surface of the leaf. These patches on the leaves are often placed near 

 the margin of the leaf, and are usually between and not over the princi- 

 pal veins ; but when a vein is involved it is considerably thickened. 

 When the stem is attacked, which occurs but rarely, it is considerably 

 swollen. The drupes when attacked are often densely covered with 

 aecidial tubes, set at right angles, all over them. 



The spermogonia are formed on both the upper and lower surfaces 

 of the patches, and may often be found ripe when the secidia on the 

 same patches are also fully developed. They are inserted between the 

 cells of the single layer of palisade cells when situated on the upper 

 surface. They have a tuft of paraphyses protruding through their 

 mouths, and measure about 0*107 m.m. in depth and breadth. 



The cecidiospores are round orange-yellow bodies of very uniform 

 size measuring 23 /a in diameter when recently wetted with water 

 (Fig. 5, PL XIII.). The peridial cells are roughly hexagonal, adhere very 

 firmly to one another, and measure about 26 x 16 /x. The centre of 

 each cell contains orange-yellow matter like the contents of the £eci- 

 diospores (Fig. 4, PI. XIII.) . 



Remarks. — There can be little doubt that this ^cidium is caused by 

 a Puccinia, with all the characters of Puccinia coronata, which occurs 

 on Brachypodiurn sylvaticum in Simla, but unfortunately I have not had 

 sufficient opportunities of verifying this. So far as my insufficient 

 experiments go, I have always obtained negative results. I am also not 

 quite sure whether this ^cidium does not also occur on Sageretia 

 oppositifolia. 



6. — Puccinia Fragari^, nov. sp. 



Fragaria vesca, Linn. 

 During May, and just before it flowers, the Wild Strawberry, Fra- 

 garia vesca, may in some years be seen attacked by an aecidial funo-us. 

 This parasite is, however, a rare one, and I found it on two occasions only 

 in 1885 at localities distant a few miles from one another, and on each 

 occasion only a single affected plant was found, ^cidial fructification 

 was found both on the petiole and on the leaf blade. It is somewhat 

 curious that the same leaf bore simuUaiieously uredo and teleutospore 

 pustules, but all the three forms of spore-pustules were quite distinct 



