REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
349 
laricot* of mutton, given in some French dictionaries as the equivalent 
of “Irish stew,” seeing that the latter is older in the language, and 
that a certain resemblance may be traced between the haricot bean 
and the morsels of meat in the ragout, or else that this bean was 
suitable to the making of the dish. As haricot beans are not used in 
making the ragout, as we find on reference to Soyer and other 
authorities on cooking, Littre’s suggestion is evidently a misleading 
one; while De Candolle’s seems perfectly satisfactory. Wedgwood in 
his “ Dictionary of English Etymology ” says, “ Haricot is described as 
small pieces of mutton partly boiled and then fried with vegetables, 
but without any reference to haricot beans.” 
New British Puccinia.— A few weeks ago Mr. H. Hawkes, of 
Birmingham (not the Borough Coroner), sent me a few fresh leaves of 
Sonclius infested with a uredinous fungus, having a decidedly pucci- 
nioid aspect, which he was unable to make out. A microscopic 
examination under a low power at once revealed the presence of a 
remarkable palisade-like ring of long dark-brown clavate parapliyses 
surrounding the sorus of spores just within the ruptured encircling 
epidermis, which are characteristic of Puccinia Sonclii (Bob.), Des- 
mazieres. The quantity of material was but small, and continued 
examination failed to show that there were any teleuto-spores present, 
but the uredo-spores themselves show a marked character in the very 
thick warted exospore, so as to leave little doubt on my mind that I 
had before me this Puccinia, which has not hitherto been recorded for 
Great Britain. I have visited the place at Hamstead where the 
specimens were found, but was unable to see any more of the fungus ; 
in fact, Mr. Hawkes said that he could find only two plants infected, 
all the leaves of which he gathered. For full description, with figures, 
see “ Science Gossip” next month.—W. B. Grove, B.A. 
Alternaria Brassic^e, Sacc.— While thanking Mr. Phillips for his 
reply, I beg leave to call his attention to the fact that he has mis-read 
my question. All the figures which he quotes were known to me. 
I suggested, not that Saccardo but that Berkeley might be wrong, 
and asked for information about Berkeley’s original Macrosporium 
Brassicce. Is it really an Alternaria ? W. B. Grove, B.A. 
BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL 
SOCIETY. — Biological Section, November lltli. — Mr. W. P. 
Marshall in the chair (in the absence of Mr. W. R. Hughes). The 
Chairman read the “ Report on Marine Sponges obtained in the 
neighbourhood of Oban and the Island of Kerrera during the excur¬ 
sions of the Birmingham Natural History and Microscopical Society 
in the months of July of 1881 and 1888 respectivelythis was illus¬ 
trated by a fine display of the objects described and commented 
upon. The report is drawn up by the eminent zoologist, Mr. H. J. 
Carter, F.G.S. Mr. T. Bolton exhibited preserved specimens from the 
zoological stations at Naples, and mounted specimens from Messrs. W. 
Watson, E. Ward, C. Vance Smith, W. Joshua, and the Rev. J. E. 
* Laricot is a word of M. de Candolle’s own coinage, we fancy. 
