News and Notes 
315 
The Genus Synch ytrium^ 
This monograph represents several years of careful and pains- 
taking work on the genus, which was founded by De Bary and 
Woronin in 1863 for two species, N. Taraxaci and S. Succsiae. 
The morphology, cytology, biology, and relation of the fungus to 
its host are treated in detail both by a review of the extensive 
literature and from original studies. The taxonomic portion of 
the paper shows marked conservatism, both by the retention of 
species such as S. pluriannulatum, which recently have been trans- 
ferred to other genera, and by following the older systems of 
classification. The genus is divided into two subgenera, Eusynchy- 
trium, to which 9 species are assigned, and Haplochytrinm (the 
genus Pycnochytrium Schroter) with 17 species. Of the remain- 
ing species, 25 are not distributed and 12 are classed as doubtful. 
No further comment is necessary concerning the need of addi- 
tional life history studies on species of the genus. Of the 63 
species included, 3 are new. While N. aureum possesses an array 
of 130 hosts and numerous named forms, no member of the genus 
can be called cosmopolitan, at least from the data given. The 
geographical distribution is as follows : North America 21 species. 
South America 7, Europe 35, Asia 5, Africa 3, Australia 2, and 
New Zealand i. Of the North American species, 12 are endemic, 
8 are also found in Europe, 2 in Africa, and i in Australia. The 
excellent plates, the indexes, and the careful treatment of the 
subject matter will make this work of great value to all students 
of the lower fungi. 
Guy West Wilson. 
A Bad Year For Fleshy Fungi 
The past season has been peculiarly unfavorable for the growth 
of fleshy fungi in the region about New York. The heavy rains 
late in September and October brought out certain species in great 
numbers, but they came too late for most of the summer and early 
autumn forms. 
The shaggy-mane, Coprinus comatus, occurred again this year 
1 Die Synchytrien. Studien zu einer Monographie der Gattung. Von Dr. 
Gertrud Tobler geb. Wolff. Archiv fu Protistenkunde 28: 141-238, pi. 10—13, 
1913. Also issued as a repaged separate, 8°. pp. 98, pi. 4. 1913. 
