488 
Notes. 
THE PANAMA DISEASE.—PRELIMINARY NOTICE.—This fungoid dis¬ 
ease on the Musa sapienlum var. Gros Michel was, it seems, first detected in Central 
America, practically destroying the crops in Costa Rica and seriously threatening to 
dry up a new source of revenue to Dutch Guiana, where this plant, the banana, was 
recently introduced. Experts here and in the U.S.A. had not yet succeeded in 
finding the cause of the disease. I did not hesitate, however, to undertake the 
research, the result being that I succeeded, after three weeks’ assiduous working, 
in finding a fungus in such a connexion with the diseased tissues as to convince me 
of its being the cause of the disease. 
The general microscopical aspect of these tissues, the ramification of the 
mycelium, the formation of the spores—chlamydospores and conidia,—the grouping 
of the spores into clusters, the mode of germination, &c., are all undoubtedly in 
favour of the conclusion that the Panama disease is caused by one of the Ustilagineae, 
probably in company with a member of the Chytridious order. 
I hope to publish the final results of my research at the earliest possible date. 
The accompanying figures, drawn from my preparations, will help to corroborate 
my preliminary conclusions, 
Pig. i. Transverse section through rhizome, x 255. a, germinating chlamydospore; b, two 
chlamydospores joined together; c, mycelium in wood vessels; d } conidium formation ; e, breaking 
up of the mycelium into chlamydospores ; /, haustorial hyphae. 
