280 
Mycologia 
Circular No. 13 1 of the Bureau of Plant Industr}’ contains a 
paper by Dr. C. L. Shear and Neil E. Stevens on the culture char- 
acters of the chestnut blight fungus and its near relatives. 
Endothia parasitica (Murrill) Anderson & Anderson has as its 
near relatives, Endothis gyrosa, Endothis radicalis and a variety of 
the latter species. 
More than two thousand cultures of these fungi were made in 
order to study the behavior of the various species on different 
kinds of culture media. The results of these studies indicate that 
the different species have constant and easily recognized culture 
characters. Endothia parasitica can be distinguished by the pecu- 
liar orange-colored surface growth produced at the bottom of the 
potato agar slants. The early appearance of the orange color of 
the mycelium is also characteristic and ordinarily sufficient for 
identification. 
On corn meal, Endothis parasitica is characterized by numerous 
small pycnidia and the absence of color changes in the medium. 
As compared with Endothis parasitica, Endothis radicalis is char- 
acterized by fewer and larger pycnidia which also appear at a 
later stage and by the perilla purple reaction of the medium ; 
Endothia radicalis mississippiensis by the larger pycnidia and the 
orange chrome color of the mycelium appearing at the end of the 
week ; and Endothia gyrosa by its tardy spore production and the 
formation of elevated or subcolumnar pycnidial stromata. 
In order to make our herbarium records more complete, the 
New York Botanical Garden desires fresh specimens of any of 
the fleshy cup- fungi (Discomycetes) either large or small which 
are suitable for colored drawings or photographs. Do not hesi- 
tate to send specimens because they are “ common.” The term 
common as applied to these things is purely a relative term. 
Species which are common with you may be very uncommon in 
neighboring localities. 
Circular No. 216 of the Forest Service of the United States 
Department of Agriculture, by W. H. Long, forest pathologist, 
calls attention to the effect of forest fires on standing hardwood 
