MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
497 
Corticium resembles to the naked eye the Corticium so common 
upon Elder (C. sambuci), looking for all the world like a splash 
of white-wash. The appearance of the fungus means the 
death of the plant sooner or later, generally within a year. 
The fungus itself is of a very rudimentary type, it being more 
like a patch of some mould rather than a Hymenomycete. 
The stroma is very loose and open in texture, it possesses no 
definite margin and takes its irregular surface from following 
the irregularities of the bark upon which it happens to grow. 
The cystidia are surmounted by a globular head about 3 /i 
across, and measure from 20 to 25 n from base to apex. 
The basidia arc flattened at the top, and bear two or more gener- 
ally four pointed steriginata. The spores are colourless, oval in 
form and have usually a large nucleus. They measure from 
5 to 8 fx in length by 3 to 5 /1 in width. The fungus is 
found principally upon the lower part of the stems, but it 
also often extends to surrounding earth which it mats together 
into masses that adhere to the stems when they are pulled 
up. 1'he foliage of the plants attacked is thinner and more 
attenuated, while the new shoots they send up are shorter. 
It would be interesting if this pest were found to be as common 
round Norwich as it is in the gardens at King’s Lynn. — 
C. B. Plowright. 
Note on “ Woad'’ (communicated by Mr. Arthur Bennett, 
F.L.S.). — “ Willm. Hod of Botlet, Normandy, shipped to 
Portsmouth 10 hogsheads of W’oad. which were immediately 
seized by others and carried off to Guildford, whither Hod 
followed in pursuit, regained possession and lodged it in the 
castle. Then Nicholas Picard and Willim the Vinter of 
Kingston and others from Normandy came and demanded the 
Woad for one Stephen Bukerel. On receiving a refusal they 
came on the morrow to execute a threat of burning the town 
accompanied by 200 men. Then Nicholas Sir John’s clerk 
became alarmed and delivered up the property. Abbrev. : 
Rai. M.S. Hen. III. 1265. 
J. G. Wallar, 68 Bolsover St.. London, W. 
