27 
understood. The Members of the Laboulbeniaceae are very minute, 
ascigerous fungi parasitic on insects. ‘When examined im situ on 
the host insect, they appear in general like minute, usually dark- 
coloured or yellowish bristles or bushy hairs projecting from its 
chitinous integument either singly or in pairs, more commonly 
scattered, but often densely crowded over certain areas on which they 
form a furry coating.” A very remarkable feature of the group 
consists in the fact that the sexual organs are to say the least, 
analogous with those of the red sea-weeds or Florideae. ‘here is a 
female organ or procarp, furnished with a trichogyne, and the 
fertilising or male organs resemble the antheridia. “‘ ‘The spores are 
produced in the asci in fours or eights, in the first instance usually 
disposed more or less definitely in pairs, one of which is slightly 
higher than the other ; and the members of a given spore pair are 
discharged together. “The juxta-position of two individuals at the 
point of contact with the host, a condition essential for the 
perpetuation of the dioecious species, is thus insured in the majority 
of cases.” Many other features of extreme interest are to be found 
in the volume under consideration, but enough has probably been 
quoted to prove the importance of these minute fungi, and to arouse 
curiosity as to the attitude that will be assumed by Brefeld after the 
perusal of this work. The species are most abundant on Coleopterous 
insects, but are not confined to this group. Many of the species are 
quite abundant in the United States; 158 species, distributed among 
30 genera are described. Not a single one is included in any 
British Mycological.work, although in all probability, many species 
do exist in Britain. 
Matapigs DES PLantTes AGRIcoLEs et des Arbres fruitiers et 
Forestiers causées par des parasites Véegétaux. 
The two volumes of this work by Professor Ed. Prillieux, con- 
taining the life-history of every fungus known to be an injurious 
parasite to plants cultivated in Europe, and illustrated by numerous 
excellent figures, is undoubtedly the most complete and best in every 
way for the student of Vegetable Pathology. 
PHALLINE. 
Professor Kobert (Lehrb. der Intoxikationen, 1897. p. 457), 
has given the name of phalline to the poisonous substance 
present in Amanita phalloides, Fries. “This substance is a toxalbumen, 

