383 
Sugar-Cane in the West Indies. 
sugar-cane, and can infect both at wounds and at old leaf- 
bases. The contrast between the behaviour of this form and 
Melanconium is most marked. 
The fungus has been cultivated in Barbados for two years 
under a wide range of conditions as regards food-materials, 
but in no case has any other spore-formation than those 
mentioned above been detected. Flask- cultures have been 
kept under observation for eighteen months, but no trace 
of Melanconium spores or perithecia has been observed. 
These results agree with those obtained by Wakker and 
Went (14) in Java. 
3. The ascigerous stage of Trichosphaeria Sacchari, 
Massee. 
Several thousands of rotten canes have been examined in 
Barbados and other islands during the last three years, but 
in no case have the perithecia described for this form been 
found. Several other Ascomycetes, however, have been noted, 
one of which is distinctly parasitic. The perithecia of this 
fungus, however, are formed underneath the rind of the cane. 
4. The fungus causing the ‘ rind 9 disease 1 of the 
Sugar-Cane in the West Indies. 
Very characteristic are canes attacked by the ‘rind’ disease 
in the West Indies. In Barbados the disease appears about 
November or December, and increases rapidly in amount up 
to March and April, when the canes are reaped. It makes 
its appearance earlier in plant-canes than in rattoons, and 
attacks sweet canes, like the Bourbon, to a much greater extent 
than some of the seedlings. I have, however, noted the 
disease on a large number of the seedling and other canes, 
which have now almost entirely replaced the Bourbon in 
Barbados on account of the ravages of this disease. It is 
quite common on the White Transparent. The first symptom 
of the malady is the drying up of the leaves, which commences 
1 As contrasted with the disease of cuttings caused by Thielaviopsis ethaceticus. 
