NEW BRITISH FUNGI. 
95 
On twigs of living spruce. Glencorse and Penicuik, N.B. 
Investing the young twigs with a black incrustation resembling 
soot, in which the perithecia are seated. The subiculum consists 
of an irregular mass of brown cells, resembling a low form of 
Sporidesmium. 
CHARACEM AMERICAN^.* 
The Characece have fortunately suffered from their lack of close 
consanguinity with other cryptogams. Not accepted as Algae, the 
Algologists have not considered them as coming within their pro- 
vince. Bryologists, Filicologists, &c.,have all disregarded them, 
and hence the Characece have been outcasts. It is satisfactory, 
therefore, to find not only that we have acquired for the British 
Isles patrons who are taking them under their charge, but also that 
in the United States Dr. Allen is working in the same direction. 
The monograph, with coloured plates, of which two parts are issued, 
is now supplemented by a fasciculus of dried specimens, including 
ten species, which is to be followed by others. It is to be hoped 
that the venture will be encouraged. 
The species contained in the first fasciculus are : — 
Nitella tenuissima, Desv., forma brevifolia. 
Nitella intermedia, Nordst. 
Nitella megacarpa, Allen. 
Chara intermedia, Br., forma tenuior. 
„ intermedia, var. Americana Br. 
„ contraria, Br., forma hrachyphylla. 
„ sejuncta, Br., forma elongata. 
,, coronata, Br., var. Schweinitzii. 
„ gymnopus, Br., var. Michauxii. 
„ hydropitys, Br., var. septentrionalis, N. 
ON THELEPHORA LYCII. Pers. 
By M. C. CooKE.f 
The species of Corticium have, unfortunately, had the reputation 
of being ill defined and difficult to comprehend, and hence they 
have been much neglected. Those who devote themselves to the 
study of Agarics, Boleti, and Polypori consider them beyond the 
range of their activities, and those who study the micro-fungi dis- 
card them as being outside their sphere, and hence no one devotes 
to them the attention they deserve. I have already shown on 
a former occasion how, by attention to microscopical features, the 
* Characese Americanae Exsiccatae, distributae aT. F. Allen, M.D., pars. 1. 
t Prepared for the Meeting of the Woolhope Club, Oct., 1880. 
