76 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
ing 3.54 by 1.54. They are hyaline and germinate termi- 
nally. 
The perithecia are smaller than those of C’. exigua, the 
description of which follows; the ascospores differ in shape, 
and are smaller, and the terminal bristles of the beak have 
a different shape, being short and thick as compared with 
the slender ones of C. exigua. 
Ceratostomella exiqgua n. sp. 
The wood of dead and dying trees of Pinus Virginiana 
Mill., and one or two other species, is often colored a blue- 
black color, even more intense than that produced by Cer- 
atostomella pilifera in wood of the western yellow pine. 
Specimens were first obtained for study from Dr. A. D. 
Hopkins of the United States Department of Agriculture. 
It was at first thought that the stain was caused by C. pili- 
fera, but pure cultures of the fungus proved that it was 
different ina number of particulars. The scanty mycelium, 
the numerous diminutive perithecia and tbe smaller coni- 
dia, as well as the more intense color of the stain, were 
prominent points of difference which were considered of 
specific importance. These characteristics remained quite 
constant through a series of cultures on various kinds of 
wood. 
The life history of the fungus obtained from a series of 
pure cultures is as follows: — 
MYCELIUM. 
Cultures grown on pine decoction agar from both conidia 
and ascospores give in a short time colonies with a white 
mycelium much more limited in growth than that of C. pili- 
Sera. The conidial stage appears after 24 hours, and is 
of the same type as that of C. pilifera, but with the con- 
idia in lesser numbers. In a few days the perithecia ap- 
pear on a mycelium which assumes a very dark brown, 
