19 



The above description (1) accords well with the general character 

 of Ustilago virens Cooke, which we have studied ; and moreover 

 Patouillard's figures showing the general appearance of the fungus-body 

 and the spores, strongly suggest the idea that he had redescribed U. 

 virens Cooke under a different name. Further, as already stated, the 

 spores of Tilletia Oryzce Pat. mere proved by Brefeld to produce in 

 nutrient solution the sclerotioid mass of hyphee, which is capable of 

 reproducing the so-called smut-spores. From this highly interesting 

 result two things are obvious: (1) Tilletia Oryzce Pat. does not belong 

 properly to the Ustilaginece, because, unlike all other smut-fungi, it 

 reproduces the spores in a nutrient solution ; (2) the sclerotioid mass 

 of hyphse it produces in nutrient solution corresponds to the above 

 described medulla or stroma of Ustilago virens Cooke. We can there- 

 fore conclude, with a considerable degree of safety, that Ustilago virens 

 Cooke, is the same as Tilletia Oryzce Pat., now Ustilaginoidea Oryzce 

 (Pat.) Brefeld. But, in as much as the publication Cookes description 

 antedates that of Patonillard's the name of the fungus must be changed 

 Ustilaginoidea virens (Cooke). 



Let us now turn to the consideration of a new species of Tilletia 

 found on Oryza sativa L. My original specimen was found among the 

 ears of rice sent from Kyoto for seed-material. It consisted of only a 

 few diseased grains which were of ordinary form and size, but notably 

 lighter in color than sound ones. Their interior was filled up with 

 powdery black spores which easily escaped from the fissures of husks. 

 On examining the spores under a microscope I was struck at once by 

 the highly developed acute spines on their epispore. These spines are 

 hyaline or slightly colored and more or less curved, thus giving a 

 peculiar appearance to the spores. The spores are round or broad- 

 elliptical and deep olive-brown in color. They germinated in three 

 days in the early part of September (1895), when they have been sown 

 in water. The promycelial tubes varied much in their length and 

 formed toward their free end 1-3 cross septa. The filiform or needle- 

 shaped sporidia were formed in a characteristic manner on the end of 

 the promycelial tube. After falling away from the promycelium the 

 sporidia produced cross septa (2 or 3 in number) as in the case of 



fl ) Compare with the description of U. virens Cooke, which is given in Sauordo (loc. cit.) 

 as follows : — " Pulverulent, effusa, olivaceo-virens ; sporis globosis, olivaceo-fuscis ; 

 episporio granuloso, 5 y. diam." 



