177 
troduced into Europe at any time. This is quite likely and the wonder 
is that it should not have occurred before, owing to the fact that it is 
found on all our species of Primus and is very destructive in many 
parts of the eastern United States. 
The volume ends with a brief index, preceded by a convenient 
synopsis of diseases (215 in number). This is arranged alphabetically 
according to hosts, and under each host according to organs, so that 
the reader who knows the name of the host and of the part attacked 
can quickly refer to the description of the disease in the body of the 
text.— Erwin F. Smith. 
Kellerman & Swingle. Branch Knot of the Hackberry. Report of 
Botanical Department, in First Annual Report of the Kansas Ex¬ 
periment Station, 1888. 
This article is especially interesting to lovers of fungi from the fact 
that it relates to the peculiar double effect of plant parasite and insect 
irritation upon the same portion of host tissue. The infecting fungus 
Sphcerotheca phytoptophila, Kell. & Sw., appears to be a new and quite 
distinct species, choosing as its home the peculiar formations caused by 
a Phytoptus or gall-mite, which remains as yet undescribed. Many small 
branches of the hackberry (Celtis occidentalism L.) have upon them knots 
and clusters of small abnormal twigs,which were supposed to be wholly 
due to the attacks of insects until the authors of this paper in March, 
1888, discovered the mycelium and fruiting bodies of this new powdery 
mildew growing upon the buds and stems of the diseased portions. Up 
to this time only two species of the Erysiphece had been found growiug 
upon the Celtis , both of which belong to the genus Uncinula , and only 
one as an inhabitant of Phytoptus galls—a Microsphcera. A portion of 
the article is taken up with a description of the curious distortions 
caused by the gall-mite and mildew combined, two photo-lithographs 
of different styles or types being added. Following this is a short ac¬ 
count of the general characters of the Erysiphece and a very full and care¬ 
fully prepared description of the species in question. The presence of 
Cicinnobolus Cesatiij DBy., the common parasite of the powdery mildews, 
is noted, and shares with the gall-mite a short description. As remedies 
for this complex disease, which disfigures and enfeebles the hackberry 
trees—used quite frequently for ornamentation in the West—the authors 
suggest the use of sulphur and its compounds along with that most 
effective of preventive measures, a removal and destruction of the dis¬ 
eased portions during the winter season. 
Whether or not the fungus and gall-mite are independent of each 
other the paper does not attempt to decide, but leaves the matter for 
further experimentation, throwing out the suggestion that it may In* 
possible for the mite to form galls without the fungus, but not for the 
fungus to live separated from the gall.—D. G. Fairchild. 
