ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
85 
Fungi. 
Technique in Contrasting Mucors. — A. F. Blakeslee, Donald 
S. Welch and J. Lincoln Cartledge (Bot. Gaz ., 1921, 72, 162-72, 
2 figs.). A careful and detailed account of the methods employed in 
the study of the sexual relations between different races of mucors. 
The work must be carried out in cultures, and some of the sources of 
error due to faulty technique have been pointed out. The writers 
intend that the paper should serve as an introduction to a communica- 
tion to be published later. A. Lorrain Smith. 
Phytophthora sp. Injurious to Papaver nudicale in Victoria, 
Australia. — C. C. Brittlebank (Journ. Dept. Agric. Victoria, Australia , 
1919, 17, 1). It was found that 80 or 90 p.c. of specimens of 
Papaver were killed by this fungus. The disease usually becomes per- 
ceptible just when, or before, the buds form, and the plants attacked 
fail to flower. Spraying with copper-soda wash proved an effective 
remedy. A. L S. 
Blepharospora terrestris, a Phycomycete parasitic on White 
Lupin, and new to Italy. — B. Peyronel ( Regie Accad. dei Lincei, 1920, 
29, 194-7 ; see also Bull. Agric. Intell. and PI. Diseases , Rome , 1920, 
11 , 1058-9). The fungus has been found on the roots and hypocotyl 
region of Lupinus albus. When the dead plants were examined the 
author found mycelium in the root tissues, while in the cortical tissues 
there were large numbers of oogonia and ripe oospores. A. L. S. 
Sexual Dimorphism in Cunninghamella. — A. F. Blakeslee, 
J. Lincoln Cartledge, and Donald S. Welch (Bot. Gaz., 1921, 72, 
185-219, 1 fig.). The discussion in the present paper is confined to 
Cunninghamella. In the species of that genus there is apparent a 
graded series so far as the strength of sexual activity is concerned from 
sexually strong to sexually • weak races. The authors conclude from 
research and observation that Cunninghamella is sexually dimorphic. 
A. L. S. 
Massachusetts Species of Helvelia. — P. J. Anderson and 
Marguerite Gf. Ickis (Mycologia, 1921, 13 , 201-29, 2 pis.). The 
authors give a preliminary history of the genus and of the literature. 
They decide to abide by the name Helvelia, that being the one used by 
Persoon and Fries. A synoptic key of the eleven species found in the 
State of Massachusetts and full descriptions are given. A. L. S. 
Studies in Entomogenous Fungi.— T. Petch (Trans. Brit. Mycol. 
Soc., 1921, 7, 89-167, 3 pis. (2 col.). Petch begins with a histurical 
account of the Nectriae parasitic on scale insects, the first having been 
described in 1848 by Desmazieres on the scale insects of willows at 
Caen, France. The fungus was named Microcera : it is the conidial 
stage of Sphaerostilbe. A list is given of all the Nectriae that have been 
recorded on scale insects, and the genera in turn are dealt with. These 
fungi abound in the tropics. Petch has added the following new 
