120 MR. GEORGE MASSEE ON THE THELEPHORES. 
a small but well-defined nucleus. Rosenvinge has shown * that 
nuclei are present in both vegetative and reproductive cells of fungi. 
Gonidia are not uncommon. When Stereum hirsutum grows 
in places exposed to constant moisture, the hymenium is not un- 
frequently more or less covered with small protuberances pre- 
senting a velvety appearance under a lens. A section through 
one of these outgrowths shows it to consist of a compact bundle 
of delicate septate hyphe originating from the subhymenial 
layer, and passing between the elements of the hymenium, 
where the free apices are branched in an irregularly verticillate 
manner, each branch bearing a colourless broadly elliptical goni- 
dium at the apex, measuring about 3x2p. Judging from the 
great number of gonidia entangled with the hyphe of old tufts, 
several are produced in succession ; but I have no direct evidence 
on this point (Pl. XLVI. fig. 7). Ina very dilute alkaline solution 
the gonidia made feeble attempts at germination, the longest tube 
emitted being less than half the length of a gonidium. The 
“glands” on the gills of Agaricus (Pleurotus) ostreatus, var. 
glandulosus, Bull., are gonidia-bearing tufts similar in structure 
to the above. Numerous true spores are usually mixed with the 
gonidia in the tufts, and are apt to lead to mistaken ideas when 
it is only superficially examined. In Alewrodiscus Oakesii, in 
addition to normal tetrasporous basidia, which are rare, there are 
numerous large elliptical gonidia produced singly on thick goni- 
diophores ; whereas in Aleurodiscus Micheneri (= Artocreas 
Micheneri, Berk. & Curt., = Michenera Artocreas, Berk. & Curt.) 
I have found large coloured gonidia only. Patouillard has also 
described a Corticium (C. Marchandii, Pat.t) having numerous 
large coloured gonidia, solitary and terminal on stout nodulose 
gonidiophores, mixed with rarely occurring basidia producing 
small colourless spores on well-developed sterigmata. Gonidia 
are usually large, with a coloured epispore, and often indistin- 
guishable from the spores of Coniophora when free, but differ 
entirely in origin. 
Colouring-matters are confined to the cell-walls, the most usual 
tints ranging from clear pale yellow, through orange and fulvous, 
to brown, all being unaffected by a 10-per-cent., or even stronger, 
* M. C. Kolderup Rosenvinge, “Sur les Noyaux des Hymenomycetes,” Ann. 
Sci. Nat. sér. 7, vol. v. p. 74, pl. 1. 
t Tab. Analyt. Fung. fasc. i. p. 16, f. 25. In this work are numerous illus- 
trations of the occurrence of gonidia in various orders of the Basidiomycetes. 
