106
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
infected with a rust fungus which proved to be Puccinia Bupleuri Rud.
This Uredine has, according to Grove,13 been recorded only once previously
in Britain, and that from Walton-on-Naze in August, 1887, I have not
succeeded in tracing any other records for this country. Aecidia, Spermo-
gonia, uredorori and teleutosori were all present, the aecidia being by
far the most numerous. The leaves of the host had a rather yellowish
green appearance, paler than normal.
Mr. J. Ramsbottom informs me that he received two collections of
this fungus, one from Great Oakley, Essex, and the other from Felixstowe,
both found in September, 1935. The fungus has a wide distribution,
given by Grove as Europe, Asia Minor, East Indies and Yunnan. The
host itself is a local plant with a somewhat restricted distribution in
Britain, so that the parasite is scarcely likely to be found frequently,
and while it may perhaps be questioned if the fungus is as rare as the
records suggest, it seems strange that it should be found three times in
one season, after not having been recorded for nearly 50 years.—
Frank W. Jane.
Pied Rat at Felsted.—A full-grown pied variety of Common Rat was
sent up to the Stratford Museum by Mr. J. H. Owen at the end of October,
1935. With the exception of the central line of the back, which showed
a dark grey longitudinal stripe interspersed with lighter hairs, the pelt was
uniformly light grey, but becoming almost white on the underside of
the body. The skin was unfortunately too far gone to preserve.—Ed.
13 W. B. Grove, The British Rust Fungi (Uredinales), Cambridge, 1913.