Bibliographical Notices. 



145 



cause they w ere not conspicuous in the recent specimen ori- 

 ginally examined by Donovan. 



Mr. YarrelPs figure of the Shorter Sunfish is taken from a 

 young specimen, and therefore but inadequately represents 

 that species in its mature growth. The many opportunities, 

 however, which I have had of examining this fish, and some- 

 times of large size, will allow of no doubt of its being distinctly 

 separate from its far more rare congener, the Oblong Sunfish. 

 The fin rays will probably be found to differ in the different 

 specimens of both these species ; but together with the length- 

 ened form of the body, and shape of the mouth, the different 

 shape of the pectoral fin will be sufficient to prevent all 

 further hesitation on the subject. 



Polperro, September 1, 1840. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



Icones Fungorum, $c. Tomus 3. J. C. Corda. Pragse, 1839. 



We have already twice noticed this valuable work, which is con- 

 tributing greatly to our knowledge of Fungi. Our especial object, 

 however, in again adverting to it, is to direct attention to the con- 

 firmation it affords of Leveille's new views of the structure and na- 

 ture of Entophytous Fungi, of which an account is given in the 11th 

 volume of the New Series of Annales des Sciences Naturelles. M. 

 Corda's observations are perfectly independent of those of the 

 French mycologist ; and both the learned authors, whose discoveries 

 were published in the same year, appear entitled almost equally to 

 the credit attached to them, though M. Leveille has followed out 

 the subject more completely. Indeed, Corda's observations are con- 

 fined to a single species. The facts made known are very import- 

 ant, and are scarcely second in interest to those which have been ac- 

 cumulated lately regarding the Hymenomycetes. 



It is well known that various opinions have prevailed as to the 

 nature of Entophyta, and that M. Unger has lately paid much atten- 

 tion to the subject, and has arrived at the conclusion satisfactory to 

 himself, but not equally so to all mycologists, that they are mere 

 exanthemata analogous to cutaneous eruptions in mammalia. M. 

 Leveille, however, not contented with this notion, has examined 

 them still more recently, and has discovered that in those species in 

 which the cuticle of the matrix is most easily removed, there is im- 

 mediately beneath it a true mycelium, from which the fungus is ulti- 

 mately developed : and Corda, who has given most beautiful figures, 

 though he appears not to have paid particular attention to the more 

 early stages of growth, has shown that this mycelium penetrates the 

 cells and interstices which are beneath the sori. This we have our- 

 selves observed in /Ecidium Euphorbia, the only species we have at 

 present examined. Leveille has also shown that this structure prevails 



Ann. §• Mag. Nat. Hist. Oct. 1 840. l 



