169 
NOTES AND COMMENTS. 
SPORIDIA OF PUCCINIA MALVACEARUH. 
In the Annals of Botany for April, Mr. Wilfrid Robinson 
has an interesting note on ‘ Some Experiments on the Effect 
of External Stimuli on the Sporida of Puccinia Malvacearum, 
Mont.’ From this we learn that, ‘ The sporidia of P. malva- 
cearurn have been shown to be negatively heliotropic, and this 
is also the case for the conidia of a species of Botrytis ; whilst 
with conidia of Penicillium, Alternaria, Peronospora, and 
aecidiospores of Puccinia poarum no irritability to light was 
apparent. Other influences shown to affect the germ tubes 
are moisture and contact. As regards moisture, the germ 
tubes tend to grow out of a drop of water into the moist 
atmosphere around. On the other hand, germ tubes, on the 
surface of gelatine in a moist atmosphere, tend to penetrate 
the gelatine. These influences are difficult to analyse satis- 
factorily. With respect to contact, the tip of the germ tube 
swells and becomes closely applied to the epidermal surface 
of both the host and non-susceptible plants. This may 
perhaps be a result of the contact.’ 
DRAWINGS OF FUNGI. 
W e are interested to learn that the fine collection of w r ater- 
colour drawings of British Fungi, done from nature by Chas. 
Crossland, Halifax, have been acquired for the Herbarium, 
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, along with the specimens from 
which the majority of the figures were made. Almost without 
exception, the fungi portrayed have been found in Yorkshire, 
and include many new discoveries. The collection of coloured 
drawings represent about 500 species, each on a separate 
sheet ; in addition to these are numerous pen-and-ink, or 
pencil sketches on wrappers, delineating the chief characters 
of the specimen enclosed. The drawings consist principally 
of enlarged microscopic features of the Discomycetes — the 
group to which Mr. Crossland has devoted special study for 
over a quarter of a century. The remainder are general, with 
a fair proportion of Hyphomycetes (moulds). Copious notes 
accompany the figures. Many bear the name of the late 
H. T. Soppitt, and others that of the late James Needham, 
as collectors. While we do not like the idea of the drawings 
leaving the county there is much satisfaction in knowing they 
have got to a place where they are most likely to be of service 
to students of Mycology. 
THE PALiEONTOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. 
‘ The Palseontographical Society’s Monograph ’ for 1913 
was recently published, and is principally occupied by a 
remarkable account of ‘ The British Pliocene Mollusca,’ by 
Mr. F. W. Harmer. This is a supplement to S. V. W r ood’s 
19X4 June 1. 
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