-— AT 
size, in comparison with AHysterites Cordaitis Grand’Eury (1) its 
nearest related species, Hysterites brasiliensis differs especially by 
its very much elongated perithecia which are several times as long 
as broad. Pontonié has, it is true, described (2) as Hysterites Cor- 
daites some specimens from the Thuringian Permiam which would 
seem to be very. close to ours, differing but little except in size from 
those from South America, and which would at first make it seem 
unwise to lreat the latter as distinct. But the examination of Grand 
Kury’s original description and . figure, together with the study of 
specimens from the North American Coal Measures (3) convinces me 
of the uniformity of size and other features in the perithecia of 
Grand Eury’s species. 
The latter are nearly all less than one-half as long as in Ays- 
terites brasiliensis, though nearly as wide (4). Many of those in the 
Brazilian species are over three times as long. 
For these reasons I am unable to regard our fungus as specifi- 
cally identical with Hysterites Cordaites. 
The evidence for the relationship of the Palaeozoic fossils to the 
recent genus Hysterium Tode is, I believe, very satisfactorily shown 
in the full discussion given by Potonié. The similarity, as pointed 
out by him, of the Carboniferous type to the living Hysterium ner- 
visequum on the leaf of Abies alba is certainly very striking as well 
as instructive. 
The hoste of Grand Eury’s type is Cordaites principalis from the 
Coal Measures of the basin of the Loire in France. 
Potonié’s specimen also is on a Cordaites leaf, regarded by him 
as probably the same species, from the Thuringen Rothliegende. 
The occurrence of a Palaeozoic species, so closely related, on the 
Noeggerathiopsis isin complete accord with the very close relation- 
ship between the genera Cordaites and Noggerathiopsis. Not only 
are the Palaeozoic specios of Aysterites on gymnospermous hosts, 
but the only other species recorded from rocks older than the Cre- 
taceous, the Hysterites Friesii Nath., from the Rhetic of Sweden, 
(1) Fl. carb, dep. d2 la Loire, 1877, p. 10, pl. I, fig. 7. 
(2) Fl. Roth. Thuringien, 1893, p. 25, pl. I, fig. 5. 
(3) See Monogr. U.S. Geol. Surv., vol. XXXVII, 1899, p. 13, pl. FI. 
(4) The illustrations given both by Grand’Eury and by Potonié are copied by Mes- 
chinelli: Fungorum Fossilium Omnium Hucusque Cognitorum. Iconographia : Vicetix, 
4898, pl. XV, figs. 9 aud 7. 
