48 
essentially a wound parasite whether the wound which affords the 
place of entry is associated with the attack of another fungus such 
as those just mentioned or Corticium or whether the wound be 
caused by a dead twig or Iwoken branch. However the entry is 
effected the hyphse begin to spread downwards in the tissue in the 
young wood or young bark, that is near the position of the cambium, 
killing the tree in a characteristic manner. It has generally been 
my experience to find groups of trees affected together, usually 
small groups. 
On one estate I recall an occasion on which 150 trees of seven 
years old were found affected in one group. A few of these trees, 
not more than six, were killed but many of the others had to be cut 
back below the fork. Usually one tree is found killed and a 
group of trees in the immediate vicinity more or less seriously 
affected. 
The only method of treatment is to efit down all trees killed by 
the disease and to remove all affected branches of trees which have 
not suffered so severely. However slight the attack the affected 
parts must be removed. All attacked parts of trees should be 
destroyed by fire immediately. Tt is necessary to act immediately 
when dealing with this disease as it develops and spreads down the 
tree with great rapidity. Dead rubber trees and branches should 
not be allowed to remain lying about in plantations. Any part of 
a dead rubber tree affords a most suitable place for the development 
of the fungus and indeed it can almost invariably be found on dead 
rubber branches or stems. 
During the time I have worked in Malaya I have not been able 
to find the stage described by Bancroft as the ascus stage in the life 
history of the fungus which he considered to be the higher stage of 
Botryodiplodia and for this reason re-named the fungus Thyridaria 
tarda. There is no confirmation of the existence of such a form and 
until Bancroft’s work is confirmed Botryodiplodia theobromm as a 
name has tlie prior claim. 
Phyllosticta ramicola and Glceosporium albo-rubrum. 
For the purposes of this paper these two fungi may be dealt 
with together as they are frequently intimately mixed on the same 
affected branch or twig. The two fungi are parasitic and usually 
affect the uppermost twigs which still have a green epidermis or 
skin — that is, where cork has not yet been formed. 
Phyllosticta generally makes its attack at a point 6 to 18 inches 
below the apex of the shoot. When first noticed a brown patch may 
be observed which later spreads upwards and downwards killing the 
twig. Usually the fungus spreads no further down than two to three 
feet below the apex. Glceosporium has a similar mode of attack. 
It is usually immediately after wintering when the leaves are just 
