OF CEETAIN SPH^EIACEOUS FUNOI. 
545 
Cytispora, which are fusiform and strongly curved. They are all magnified 315 
diameters. 
2. Sphceria favacea, Fe. — This Spheeria is closely allied to S. verrucwformis, and ex- 
tremely liable to be confounded with it. Differences, however, exist which on careful 
examination suffice to distinguish the one from the other. The asci are usually clavate, 
instead of fusiform as in S. verrucmformis ; the sporidia have not ordinarily the globular 
nuclei, and their size is somewhat less, being about th of an inch ; the plant is moreover 
larger and of a coarser habit. No reliance is to be placed upon the arrangement of the 
perithecia in two tiers, for this occurs mdifferently both in Splmria verruccefonnis and 
*S'. famcea. I notice the latter plant here in order to call attention to some strange 
modifications in the shape of the asci which have come under my observation. The 
ordinary fruit is shown in fig. 5, while fig. 6 [a — m) represents aberrant forms in which 
the asci have become most fancifully distorted. But perhaps the most curious instance 
of change is that shoAvn in fig. 7, where the outer membrane of the ascus assumed 
a perfectly globular shape. In this instance the inner membrane remained unaffected, 
and lay bent almost in its natural shape along one side of the globose external mem- 
brane, the sporidia being entirely confined within it ; but in other instances, as in 
fig. 8 (a much smaller ascus), the inner membrane shared the change of form of the 
outer one, and the sporidia filled the whole of the globe. The specimens in which this 
abnoimial fructification occurred had been subjected to an unusual amount of moisture, 
by which the change in the form of the asci might possibly have been produced. Tlie 
figures in this instance are all magnified 220 diameters. 
A similar change of form occurred in another Sphseria, the only difference being, that 
in the latter case the irregular ascus was not exactly globular, but slightly ellipsoidal. 
Figs. 9 and 10 represent the common and the abnormal forms of fructification in this 
latter Sphseria, which belongs to the dmsion Concrescentes, the figures being magnified 
415 diameters. I may add, that the sporidia are of a clear brown colour, and some- 
times, though not usually, nucleated at one or both extremities. I cannot ascertain 
that it has been previously described, and propose therefore to call it Splioeria stipata, 
the perithecia being very closely packed. The mean size of its sporidia is 
an inch. 
3. Splueria Tiliaginea, Cueeey. — This species is new to this country, and I have not 
been able to find any description of it elsewhere. I have met with it at difterent 
seasons of the year in my own neighbourhood (Blackheath), always on small dead 
branches of Lime. It belongs to the division Circinatee, but the perithecia are more 
deeply immersed in the inner bark than is usual in that division. The ostiola some- 
times penetrate through the epidermis, but sometimes remain concealed by it ; in the 
latter case raising the epidermis into a number of small pustules. When the epidermis 
is stripped off, the inner bark is seen to be covered with small, green, circular umbonate 
disks, the umbonate appearance being caused by the ostiola, which, as in other Circinatae, 
are in contact at their apices, and protrude through the exact centre of each of the 
