News and Notes 



277 



engaged in a study of the discomycetes of that state. The mono- 

 graph is accompanied by six plates. 



The Agricultural Bulletin of the Straits for July, 1909, con- 

 tains descriptive accounts of two fungi parasitic on Para rubber 

 trees. One is an ascomycete, which first attacks the shoots and 

 later descends to the trunk, killing the tree very quickly, in much 

 the same way as does the chestnut canker in this vicinity. Cut- 

 ting away affected branches and spraying with Bordeaux mix- 

 ture is recommended for this disease. 



The other disease is caused by a species of Hymenochaete, 

 probably H. noxia P. Henn., which attacks the roots of the 

 tree, slowly covering the larger roots with a bright brown layer, 

 causing them to dry up. No remedy is recommended. 



Mr. Lars Romell makes the following observation regarding 

 the spores of Polyporus Colossus: 



" I do not know on what observation the statement is based 

 that this species has hyaline spores. I fear, however, that it 

 will not be found correct. I have noted that their color is a 

 mixture of cream and olivaceous, a color which the hymenium 

 also assumes, at least in advanced age. The spores may be 

 hyaline in young stages, perhaps, but when mature they are 

 always colored, I think. In the type specimen at Upsala the 

 spores were cream-olivaceous, obovate, punctate-scabrous, 15- 

 18 X 8-1 2/a. The hyphae of the hymenium were about 3 (or 

 2-5) fi thick and those of the punk 3-6/x thick, and undulate. 



" It may be added that Polyporus leucocreas and Ganoderma 

 obokense have the same characters as Polyporus Colossus, and, 

 in my opinion, should be considered synonyms of it." 



Circular No. 35 of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, by 

 Perley Spaulding, deals with the causes and distribution of the 

 white pine blights in the United States. During the last five 

 years complaints of white pine leaf-blight have been coming in, 

 which complaints are becoming more frequent from year to year. 

 The case is of special importance since we are now dependent 

 upon second growth of white pine for our lumber supply, and 



