Massee: Mycologic.al Research in the United States. 349 



portion which is fertilised, after which it produces asci containing 

 spores as in other ascomycetous fungi. Simultaneously with the 

 fertilisation of the carpogenic cell a vegetative growth takes place 

 forming- a perithecium or protective covering- enclosing- the asci. 



The antheridia are produced in two different ways; in the 

 majority of species they are endogenous, being- produced in flask- 

 shaped cavities, whereas in some few species they are produced 

 laterally on slender hair-like structures, or exogenous. 



Some species are monoecious, others dioecious. The spores 

 are colourless, spindle-shaped, i-septate, and in the dioecious 

 species the spores are enclosed in pairs in a muciiag-'mous sheath, 

 one of the pair of spores producing- a male plant, the other 

 a female plant, and as the spore couples adhere tog-ether, a male 

 and female plant respectively are produced side by side on the 

 host. 



In addition to the agreement between the Laboulbeniaceae 

 and the Floridese in the structure of their reproductive organs, 

 the two groups also agree in possessing very clearly defined 

 ' continuity of protoplasm, hence suggesting a possible closer 

 affinity between the fungi and the algae than was previously 

 suspected. For the discussion on this point in detail, along with 

 other matters relating to affinities, the original monograph must 

 be consulted. 



Every point of structure indicates that the Laboulbeniaceae 

 are genuine ascomycetous fungi, and the presence of undoubted 

 sexual reproduction disposes once for all of Brefeld's contention 

 that sexual reproduction has disappeared from the Ascomycetes. 



The number of species described in the monograph is 158, 

 distributed among 30 genera, and the same author has almost 

 as many more species, some already described, the whole to be 

 incorporated in a second monograph which the author informed 

 me would be ready in two years hence. 



Dr. Thaxter has twice visited Europe for the purpose of 

 examining' the large collections of insects in national museums 

 and elsewhere, as the fungi, being of a somew hat firm structure, 

 retain all their essential features after desiccation. Research of 

 this kind has shown that these minute fungi occur in every part 

 of the world. 



I may perhaps be allowed to state the fact that not a single 

 species of the Laboulbeniaceae is known to exist in Britain, yet 

 undoubtedly we have many with us. 



Another very interesting piece of work by Dr. Thaxter w as 

 the discovery that a section of the Bacteria or Schlzomycetes 



ic>x) November i. 



