MONOGRAPH OF THE LABOULBENIACE^i. 



301 



Giard has kindly called to my notice a reference by Gerke in the Wiener Entomologische 

 Zeitung to a parasite on Drosophila funebris, found by him in June, 1877. Though his figure is 

 somewhat insufficient, it is more than probable that the plant which he describes is identical 

 with the present species. The figures are evidently drawn from dried and shrivelled specimens, 

 and no appendage is visible, although otherwise they correspond essentially with the American 

 form. 



Professor Peck, in his original description, represents the spores as divided by a median sep- 

 tum, but in the material examined they appear to be of the usual type as represented in fig. 8. 

 The host occurs in cellars and similar situations, where it is commonly found hovering over 

 decaying fruit, etc. 



Stigmatomyces virescens Thaxter. Plate VIII, figs. 1-4. 



Proc. Am. Acad. Arts and Sci. Vol. XIX, p. 106 ; Ilesperomyoes virescens Thaxter, 1. c. Vol. XXIV, p. 264. 



Color yellowish green. Perithecium large, clavate or sub-clavate, constricted more or less 

 prominently at the transverse septa between its successive wall-cells, straight on the inner side, 

 rounded externally ; the distal series of wall-cells forming the tip, the small terminal cells thus 

 formed producing from four to eight appendages ; the outer short or obsolete, the inner consist- 

 ing of two antero-posterior wedge-shaped prominences, between which lies the pore ; and two 

 much longer, divergent, tapering, sometimes septate, lateral appendages. The ascogenic cell 

 perhaps solitary (?), becoming pushed down between the proper basal cells of the perithecium, 

 which thus appears to have five sets of wall-cells. Appendage abruptly constricted at its base, 

 the antheridial cells, usually five in number, distinct, except at the base. Receptacle sharply 

 pointed below, small, sub-triangular, consisting of a basal cell and two smaller terminal cells, 

 the posterior smaller bearing the appendage, the anterior the stalk cell of the perithecium, 

 which equals or exceeds the main body of the receptacle in size. Spores, 65 x 6 fi. Perithecia, 

 190-275 x 66 /x ; its longer terminal appendages, 40-45 fi. Receptacle, 75 x 30 Antheridial 

 appendage, 75 x IB fi. Total length to tip of perithecium, 300-400 fi. 



On Chilocorus bivulnerus Muls., California. 



I am greatly indebted to Mr. D. W. Coquillet for two specimens of the above host taken at 

 Los Angeles, which bear the parasite on the legs and on the lower surface of the abdomen ; 

 where, owing to its large size and contrasting color, it is readily seen with the naked eye. A 

 further knowledge of the family shows that the characters relied upon for distinguishing the 

 genus Hespcromyces have merely a specific significance; and that while the number of wall-cells 

 of the perithecium appears to be greater than in the other species of Stigmatomyces, they are 

 in reality the same, as indicated in the above description. The receptacle, moreover, may with- 

 out difficulty be reduced to the same type, although from the obliquity of the septa and some- 

 what different relative position of its cells, the insertion of the appendage might at first sight 

 seem abnormal. The spores sometimes present a peculiar appearance, through a local inflation 

 of their smaller segment. 



