436 Griffiths : Pvrenomvcetes 



imperfectly developed pcrithecia of some of the SpJiacrialcs^ prob- 

 ably a Plcospora^ were collected in the Big Horn Mts., near Buffalo, 

 Wyo., at an altitude of about 8000 ft, in August, 1898 (Williams 

 and Griffiths). On the 14th of April, 1899, this material was 

 thoroughly soaked and placed in a moist chamber. On the 3d of 

 May mature perithecia of the above were present in considerable 

 numbers. They continued to develop for two weeks longer 

 when the material became dry. No precautions were taken re- 

 garding heat and moisture, the culms and leaves being cut into 



I 



appropriate lengths to fit in an ordinary 3 ^/^ -inch Petri dish, thor- 



L 



oughly moistened, and kept at laboratory temperature of about 

 21^ in another Petri dish of larger size. 



SORDARIA CURVULA DcB. 



Pcrithecia scattered, superficial but firmly attached by the base, 

 conical, truncate, curved and blackened at the apex, thin, mem- 

 branous, sparingly covered with septate fasciculated hairs which are 

 more prominent around the base of the blackened apex, 275-375 ft 

 X 500-700 fly spore -bearing area easily distinguished by trans- 

 mitted light, asci paraphyseate, cylindrical- clavate, stipitate, 8- 



sporcd, 25— 35/iX 160—200 // : spores biseriate with the two 

 lower spores of the upper series overlapping the two upper spores 



of the lower series in the center of the spore-bearing portion of the 

 ascus, oval, 19-21 /tx 24-28 /x, abruptly but acutely pointed, ohva-* 

 ceous to black with a gelatinous hyaline appendage at the lower 

 end varying from one half to once the length of the spore. IV. 



This differs in several particulars from S, cnrvula aloidcs\\\\\t. 

 as recorded for this country by Messrs. Ellis & Kverhart in N. A. 

 Pyreno. 129, and corresponds more closely with the typical Euro- 

 pean species. The main differences occur in the characteristics of 



F 



the hairs and the serial character of the spores. When the asci 

 escape from the perithcclum under the microscope they often ap- 

 pear distorted, becoming inflated so as to render the ascus more 

 or less oval in outline, but leaving the arrangement of the spores 

 undisturbed. I have had this phenomenon occur in water, 2 % 

 chrome-alum, and 5 % caustic potash. Dr. Winter describes and 

 figures a similar phenomenon in his specimens. 



Dead stems oi Salsola kali tragus affected with a species of Opliio- 

 bolus were collected at Aberdeen, S. D., in March, 189S. On the 



