SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, OCTOBER 18. 



clxix 



Corticium Chrysanthcmi, n. sp, — Dr. Plowright also sent the following 

 description of a new fungus, upon which Dr. Cooke will also report : 

 " Effused, incrusting indeterminate, milk-white, with a filamentous sub- 

 stratum ; spores oval, with a large nucleus, 5 to 8 by 3 to 5 /z. Para- 

 sitic on bases of the stems and roots of the cultivated Chrysanthemum, 

 in gardens, King's Lynn. This species, which I have known for many 

 years, is the common cause of death in old Chrysanthemum plants. It is 

 closely allied to Corticium sambuci, but differs in its habit in being con- 

 fined to the ground-line and just below, of its host. It extends both 

 upwards and downwards for an inch or two, and mats together the affected 

 stems and surrounding earth. It eventually causes the death of the 

 plant it attacks." 



Fruit-fly Parasite, Discovery of. — Mr. A. Sanderson, Chislehurst, 

 sent an interesting account of Mr. G. Cowpere's discovery in Brazil of the 

 parasite of the fruit-fly, well known as a devastator of orchards in South 

 Africa, Jamaica, Bermudas, Italy, Spain, and Southern France, as well as 

 Malta. After two years' travel and of search with no success, he finally 

 discovered it in Sao Paulo, and succeeded in conveying it alive, by render- 

 ing it torpid by the refrigerator, to Australia. A difficulty arose in the 

 seasons of Brazil and Australia not coinciding, so that Mr. Cowpere is 

 feeding them artificially till the fruit season comes round. He found 

 several other parasites, as of the black scale, which has revolutionised the 

 treatment of the pest in California, where its success has convinced even 

 the most sceptical. Mr. Cowpere secured a second parasite of the black 

 scale in Brazil. He discoversd also the codlin-moth parasite in Europe. 



Plant But]. — Mr. Saunders, F.L.S., reports as follows upon specimens 

 sent by Miss Cope: — "The insect attacking the plants is one of the 

 plant bugs (Lygus jjabulinus), a common insect on various plants. The 

 members of the bug family, unlike many other insects, when they emerge 

 from the egg very much resemble their parents in general appearance, 

 though of course they are much smaller ; and this similarity increases as 

 the insect grows, so that it is never in a dormant state, as other insects 

 are when they become chrysalides. This is one reason why these insects 

 are difficult to destroy. Many, however, might be killed by shaking the 

 plants they are infesting over freshly tarred or painted boards or sheets 

 of card or metal. Others might be destroyed by spraying the plants 

 thoroughly w T ith a solution of paraffin emulsion, or some other insecticide 

 containing soft-soap. In the case of a plant growing against a wall it 

 might be possible to so fasten up a tarpaulin or some thick canvas that 

 the plant might be fumigated. I cannot suggest any other methods of 

 destroying these insects." 



Trichosanthes, Tendrils of— Mr, Odell showed specimens of T. 

 Anguina and T. cuenmerina, the tendrils of which (resembling those of 

 the Bryony) had adhered by adhesive pads to a flat wall in a similar way 

 to Virginia Creeper. The usual method of climbing is to twist round 

 some slender support. 



Nerine sarniensis from Japan. — Mr. Worsley drew attention to the 

 fact that he had received bulbs with other plants, presumably from Japan, 

 and that both Ka?mpfer and Thunberg in 1795 recorded it as a native 

 ("Botanical Magazine," t, 294). It is said to be common in Nagasaki, 



