A''otes ajui Comments. 



FOSSIL FUNGI. 



On account of their frag-ile nature it is hardly to be expected 

 that fung-i are likely to occur in any number in a fossil condition. 

 Dr. F. E. Weiss, however, has just described a section of 

 a coal-measure plant which appears to show signs of fung-us 

 growth. The section in question is of a Stigmarian rootlet in 

 the Cash collection, Owens College Museum, and was obtained 

 from the Halifax Hard Bed. This, Dr. Weiss considers, shows 

 evidence of having been attacked by a fungus of the Urophlyctis 

 type, a suggestion supported by the fact that Magnus is the 



Fossil Fungi. 



authority for this genus in Coal-measure times. Dr. Weiss's 

 paper appears in the March ' New Phytologist,' to the Editor of 

 which we are indebted for the loan of the accompanying ' general 

 view of section of Stigmarian rootlet ; o.c. = outer cortex, in.c. = 

 remains of middle cortex, i.e. = inner cortex enclosing the dark 

 wood elements at the top and a large space in the position of 

 the defective phloem, s.t. = secondary tissue of callus-like nature 

 cutting off to the outside the dead and disorganised cells [d.e.)^ 

 h.e. = large hypertrophied cells penetrating the outer cortex and 

 opening to the exterior.' 



1904 May I. 



