commonly on dead parts of Hevea, similarly to Nectna divers, spora. 
It takes the form of pin-like structures, about /,0 of an inch long, 
each consisting of a red stalk and a rounded pmk head. The spores 
germinate readily in a IX solution of cane sugar and reproduces 
white mycelium. Pure cultures were obtained from the spoies 
agar-agar and a to extract of the juice of the sugar cane. The 
mycelium grows somewhat rapidly, a good growth being obtained in 
a week. Both the mycelium obtained in the pure cultures and the 
snores taken from the “heads” of the fruits were used to inoculate 
ten-year-old trees through cuts which were made on the two-months- 
old tapping surface. The cuts were of the same two types as in the 
previous experiments; and three cuts of each kind were made on 
each of four trees. At the end of nine weeks an examination showed 
no signs of disease ; while the dead portions of the outer ba* »hich 
had been severed in making the wounds, were observed to bear the 
conidiophores of the fungus, thus shewing clearly its saprophytic 
nature. 
Both of these fungi have been found to be associated with an 
effect on the tapping surface, which at first app< Z'Vlelnlv tem- 
gical, but which on further investigation was found to be only tem 
porary This effect has been recorded here and there in isolated 
cases on several plantations, and on one plantation it was P^nt i 
some abundance on trees of seven and ten years ; it has also b 
recorded in Ceylon. The newly tapped surface shows it first , here 
sunken patches make their appearance externally and an exami- 
nation shows that the bark, which should be renewing, is dead. If 
the dead bark be removed the wood beneath it is found to be di - 
coloured, and the area of discoloured wood is greater than the exter- 
nal surface of dead hark would indicate. The dead area increases in 
size and the tapped surface may be affected for the whole length of the 
tapping cut and for a vertical distance of one or one-and-a-halt 
inches The effect may occur separately on either of the cuts or it 
may occur simultaneously on all the cuts. After a time the wounds 
commence to heal over and the effect, which is, . therefore, only 
temporary, is remedied. There may be, however, considerable damage 
done by the entrance of boring insects on the dead bark. On the 
outer, dead bark, a white mould composed of the two comdial forms 
of Nectria diversispora frequently occurs, as also do the spoiopioi s 
of Stilbella Heveae. 
Repeated attempts to inoculate, with the organisms present in 
the dead tissues have failed; these, in addition to the two fungi. given 
above, are species of Penicilliim and Aspergillus and two kinds of 
bacteria. The fact that the trees are capable of healmg aftei a time 
is sufficient evidence to show that the initial effect is not due to a 
parasitic micro-organism. The death and decay of the wood is in all 
probability due to the entrance and percolation of water containing 
organisms' of decay ; and it seems probable that the death «f the newly 
tapped bark at the commencement is due to the presence of a X 
of water on the tapping surface. In Ceylon, the effect has only been 
