199 
Finally we observe that the symptoms of the sorghum disease re¬ 
ported by Dr. Comes do bear, at least superficially, a marked resem¬ 
blance to sorghum blight studied by us, yet at the same time the mi¬ 
crobes appear to be quite different. At any rate a fuller diagnosis, 
showing more points of resemblance, may perhaps reasonably be ex¬ 
pected in order to establish the identity of the disease occurring in 
Italy and in the United States. 
NOTE BY T. J. BURRILL. 
Through the kindness of Professor Kellerman I have had an oppor¬ 
tunity to examine the manuscript by himself and Mr. Swingle in reply 
to the respectful claim of priority on the part of Dr. Comes in the 
matter of sorghum blight. The reply seems to me well made and fairly 
states the case upon both sides. I will here say that I had seen the notice 
in the Botanisches Gentralblatt , XXIII. 19 (1885), before my first paper 
upon the subject was published, and really intended to refer to it. 
However, it seemed certain to me that the disease there alluded to 
could not be that with which I was engaged. This certainty was the 
primary cause of the omission of my intended reference, since I filed my 
note made at the time of reading the article among those of general 
plant diseases instead of among those due to bacteria, and thus over¬ 
looked it when the manuscript was prepared. Further, the tissues of 
growing sorghum plants are very likely to turn red when injured in any 
way, even by mechanical wounds, while the fact that alcohol was cited as 
a product and a Saccharomycetes as an agent clearly separated the char¬ 
acteristics of the diseases studied. It is certain that alcohol is not 
found directly connected with what is called sorghum blight in America. 
It seems to me impossible that any one could mistake the organism de¬ 
scribed as the cause of this last for either Bacterium termo or Clostridium 
butyricum , not to speak of a Baccharomycetes. 
However, if this sorghum blight was really investigated in Italy before 
it was in America, no one will more cheerfully accept the fact than my¬ 
self whether or not the authors properly described what they saw. 
ROOT FUNGUS OF NEW ZEALAND. 
By R. Allan Wight. 
This fungus in the mycelial stage attacks a great variety of tree roots, 
amongst the most conspicuous of which are the apple, pear, peach, and 
all other common orchard trees. The white thorn is also very subject 
to its attacks, as well as a great many Abies and several of the native 
trees and plants. It also attacks the cabbage, the potato, docks, sorrel, 
fern, and in fact is almost omnivorous, which is a marked peculiarity. 
