SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, AUGUST 18. 



clxix 



occasion great loss, as it is not confined to a specimen or two here and 

 there, but appears to be spreading over the whole crop. The disease 

 forms dark depressed spots on the surface of the fruits in the first instance, 

 which gradually enlarge and expand until they become quite black and 

 convex like nodules, and crack either around or across, exposing the pale 

 under-stratum. At first they are about a quarter or half an inch across, 

 and finally extend to an inch or 2 inches, or become confluent. The surface 

 is from the first mealy with the conidia, which are afterwards profuse, 

 mixed with slender hyphae, so as to impart a grey velvety appearance. 

 The earliest conidia are more nearly globose than afterwards, from 

 10 x 8^/ to 12 x 8/x ; becoming at length as much as 25 x 8//,, and then 

 usually uniseptate, but with scarcely any colour ; occasionally two or 

 three conidia are concatenate. The hyphse are long and slender, half or 

 two-thirds the diameter of the conidia, septate, simple, not constricted or 

 nodulose, of a pale smoky colour, and very sparse in comparison to the 

 conidia. The flesh of the fruit beneath the spots turns of a golden or 

 tawny brown. The black elevated spots resemble large scabs, and the 

 parasite which apparently causes the mischief has been called provisionally 

 Cladosporium scabies (Cooke). But it is still under cultivation and 

 observation in order to investigate its life-history. The mould is closely 

 allied to the Cladosporium which attacks the leaves of the Tomato, but 

 the black blotches resemble those of the Macrosporium on the Tomato 

 fruits, except that they are not shining. It is strongly recommended that 

 all diseased fruits be removed and destroyed at once, and those remaining 

 should be sprayed to preserve them from attack. Condy's fluid (dilute) 

 should be tried, as less likely to injure the fruits than copper solutions. 

 Anyway, no effort should be spared at once to stamp out the pest." 



Scientific Committee, August 18, 1903. 

 Dr. M. C. Cooke, V.M.H., in the Chair, and nine members present. 



Orites excelsa. — Mr. E. M. Holmes exhibited a specimen of the bark 

 of Orites excelsa, E. Br., containing aluminium succinate deposited in 

 cavities and natural fissures. Hitherto only traces of aluminium have 

 been found in phanerogams, although not infrequent in cryptogams, but 

 in this proteaceous tree it occurs in even greater abundance than in any 

 of the cryptogams. The specimen was sent by Mr. H. G. Smith, of the 

 Technological Museum, Sydney, who has given details of his discovery to 

 the Royal Society of New South Wales. 



Bubus roscefolius. — Mr. Odell showed flowers and fruit of this Bubus, 

 which has pinnate foliage of a light green colour, white flowers, and 

 scarlet fruit. 



Proliferous Cucumber. — Dr. Masters, F.R.S., showed a remarkable 

 specimen, in which from one fruit a second one had sprung, longer than 

 the first. This was from a specimen probably akin to those showing 

 remarkable outgrowths of flowers from the axial part of the fruit, exhibited 

 on a former occasion. (See Journal R.H.S. xxvi. p. cxxxii.) 



Hymenocallis Harrisiana. — Mr. Bliss, Orpington, sent bulbiform seeds 



