Cotton : Pure Cuttures of Fungi. 



Lan'cashire and Cumberland. — Information concerning the 

 Lancashire and Cumberland coast is but scanty. The Marine 

 Surveyor to the Mersey Dock Board lias kindly given informa- 

 tion on the shore between Hilbre Island and Formy Point. He 

 notices an encroachment of the sea along this part of Liverpool 

 Bav. The coast is not protected by groynes, but embankments 

 have been put up here and there near high-water mark. Occa- 

 sionally loads of sand are removed. 



At Marvporl, in Cumberland, erosion is also reported, 

 especially about 3^2 mile N.E. of Maryport Harbour, where the 

 loss is heavy. The coast is low and both sand and stones are 

 taken from the shore. At Silloth, where the coast is sandy and 

 flat, no change is recorded. 



PURE CULTURES OF FUNQI FROM 

 ORCHID MVCORHIZA.* 



A. D. COTTON. F.L.S. 



The pure cultures referred to below were obtained from the 

 roots of various species of Erin (a tropical epiphytic Orchid). 



The fungi are grown on various media, and two distinct 

 forms of reproduction have been obtained. One consists of 

 hyaline fusiform septate spores on atrial hyphae and resembles 

 Fiisisporiuni cndorhiziun, and the other of round, thick-walled 

 spores, pale brown in colour, generally produced in the sub- 

 stratum ; these are more of the nature of chlamydospores. 



The mycorhizal mycelium is abundant in the roots, and the 

 brown-coloui'ed spores above referred to may often be seen in 

 the outer layers of the cortex or in the root hairs. The spores 

 are found to germinate readily, and if grown in any of the 

 ordinary cultured solutions produce a vigorous growth. 



To obtain pure cultures the following method was employed. 

 The root hairs were shaved off with a razor and floated into 

 a watch glass of sterilised water, and a large number of hang- 

 ing drop cultures made with the usual precautions. Ward's 

 tubes are very convenient for this purpose, and the cultures can 

 be closely watched ; all those seen to be impure were at once 

 destroyed. 



" Abstract of Paper prepared for the Fung^us Foray at Hemsley, Sep- 

 tember 1903. 

 1904 February i. 



