424 
% 
1234. Robert. Ueber Giftpilze. <^Sitzungsber. d. Natur. Ges. d. Univ. Dorpat, 
vol. ix, Dorpat, 1892, pp. 535-554. 
The author divides the cases of poisoning according to the various fungi -which cause it, 
but includes merely those cases that are known from the Baltic Provinces. One group 
comprises poisoning by fungi, which contain muscarin, e. g, Agaricus muscat ins and Boletus 
lurtdus; other cases are due to the milky juice of the species of Lactariut or of Helvetia, 
which contains an acid named lielvellic acid. The fourth group includes such as are due to 
Amanita phalloides, one of the most dangerous, since it looks very much like the edible 
Agaricus campestris. The author discusses at length the effect and the character of the 
diseases (see review by Em. Bourquelot, “ Matieres toxiques contenues dans les cham¬ 
pignons v6neneux,” in Bull. Soc. Mycol. Erance, vol. xm, Paris, Mar. 31, 1892, p. 40). (T. H.) 
1235. Snow, F. H. Contagious diseases of the chinch bug. <First Ann. Rept. Direc. Exp. 
Sta. Univ. Kan. for 1891, Topeka, Apr., 1892, p. 230, pi. 4,1 map. 
A detailed account of experiments conducted on diseases of the chinch bug, giving the 
laboratory observations and experiments, reports of field agents, estimates of value of 
crops saved, statement of effect of meteorological conditions, history of microphytous dis¬ 
eases of the bug, and a bibliography. The two fungi mainly relied upon, though not in 
pure cultures, are Sporotrichum globuliferum and Empusa aphidis. Themode of growth of 
these is described. Pure cultures of the former did not produce the disease in inoculated 
chinch bugs (p. 27). It was not possible to obtain pure cultures of Empusa , and no 
attempts at inoculation were made. A bacterial disease caused by Micrococcus insectorum 
was present and was communicated from infected to healthy bugs. The amount saved to 
482 farmers is estimated in cash to be $87,244.10, and in the same ratio to the 1,068 suc¬ 
cessful experiments, $193,308. Pages 192-217 are occupied by a history of the diseases oi 
the bug in the United States, therein are given extracts from many papers (see Exp. Sta. 
Kec., vol. in, June, 1892, pp. 833-835). (J. E. J.) 
1236. Ward, H. M. The ginger-beer plant and the organisms composing it: A contri¬ 
bution to the study of fermentation yeasts and bacteria. <\Proc. Roy. Soc., 
London, vol. L, Jan. 20,1892, pp. 261-265. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., London, 
vol. clxxxiii, Sept. 26,1892, pp. 125-197, pi. 6, figs. 6. 
The author has investigated a remarkable compound organism concerned in the fermen¬ 
tation of home-made ginger beer, and the article is a brief notice of the work. The organism 
occurs as jelly-like yellowish white masses aggregated into brain-like clumps. It resembles 
the so-called Kephir yeast, but is not identical with it. The masses consist of a symbiotic 
association of specific yeasts and bacteria, morphologically comparable to lichens. Besides 
the essential species, other species of yeasts, bacteria, and mold fungi are casually asso¬ 
ciated. The various organisms were isolated by culture methods. The essential organ¬ 
isms are a yeast, Saccharomyces pyriformis n. sp., and a bacterium, B. vcrmiforme n. sp. 
Both are described. Two other forms are always found, Mycoderma cerevisice and Bacte¬ 
rium aceti. The author has reconstructed the “ginger-beer plantby mixing pure cultures 
of the two first-named plants. The action of plants thus synthetically produced is the 
same as the original, while the action of the bacteria alone on a saccharine medium differs 
from that exerted when it is associated with the yeast and from that exerted by the latter 
alone. (M. B. W.) 
1237. Weber, PI. A. Analyses of mushrooms. <Mour. Columbus Hort. Soc., vol. vii, 
Columbus, Ohio, Mar., 1892, p. 12. 
Gives a table of analyses of mushrooms, morels, and white trufiles. (J. F. J.) 
(See. also No. 1117.) 
F.— MORPHOLOGY AND CLASSIFICATION OF FUNGI. 
I.—GENERAL WORKS. 
1238. [Anon.] Memorabilia. <(Grev., xml. xx, No. 93, Sept., 1891, Loudon, p. 22. 
Six species not in Saccardo’s Sylloge, Strobilomyces polypyramis Hook., Colletotrichum 
microspermum Corda, Zasmidium cellare Fr., Alytosporium fulvum Fr., A. croceiim Schw., 
and A. peteridicola Schw. Triposporium cristatum Patouillard is a synonym of Spegazzinia 
tessarthra (B. & C.). (M. B. W.) 
1239. Bailey, F. M. Botany. Contributions to the Queensland flora: Fungi. <Queens- 
laud Dept, of Agr. Bull. No. 7, Brisbane, Mar., 1891, pp. 33-36. 
Contains descriptions of species of fungi new to the Queensland flora. (J. F. J.) 
1240. Bailey, F. M. Contributions to the Queensland flora. ^Queensland Dept, of 
Agr. Bull. No. 18, Brisbane, May, 1892, pp. 36. 
On pp. 34-36 are given names of species of fungi new to the colony. No new species are 
described. (J. F. J.) 
1241. Bailey, F. M. [Report of the colonial botanist.] <Wnn. Rept. Dept. Agr. 
Queensland for 1890-’91, Brisbane, 1891, pp. 40-48. 
Mentions three species of fungi found in the Bellenden-Ker expedition and five blights 
observed to have injured plants during the year. (J. F. J.) 
