412 DR. D. D. CUNNINGHAM ON THE CONIDIAL 
them; but in some instances they are borne on short stalks, and are separated from the 
parent tube by a septum. Sometimes the clubs are isolated, but in general several, and 
frequently a considerable number are produced, in close proximity to one another. When 
several are present, only one or two of them undergo further development, and the rest 
soon lose their contents and remain as a series of empty saccular protrusions around 
those which continue to grow (fig. 12). The latter enlarge considerably, and a great 
accumulation of granular protoplasm takes place within them. As this accumulation 
increases, the clubs gradually assume an arcuate outline, one side projecting outwards, 
whilst the other becomes deeply concave (fig. 14). The contents now accumulate towards 
the apex, and a septum forms beneath them, separating the process into two unequal 
portions. The upper portion is filled by a dense mass of granular protoplasm ; the lower 
is hyaline, and distended with a clear watery fluid. Where two of the arcuate bodies 
are situated sufficiently close, their superior extremities approach one another like the. 
blades of a curved pair of forceps, and the apices of the terminal cells are thus brought | 
into close contact (fig. 13). In all cases in which I have been able to determine the 
point accurately, the opposed organs have been derived from two distinct mycelial fila- 
ments. In many cases, however, the relations of the processes and filaments are very 
much obscured by the presence of the abortive dilatations previously alluded to; and in 
some the appearances seemed to indicate that contact occasionally occurred between 
processes arising from the same filament. After the terminal cells have come into con- 
tact, the mutual pressure which they exert causes their opposed surfaces to become flat- 
tened out, so as eventually to appear as a transverse partition separating the two masses. 
of protoplasmic contents. This partition is next absorbed, and the two masses becom 
fused together. The result is the formation of an oblong body, which at first presents 
more or less distinct lobes, corresponding to its separate parent cells, but which soo 
becomes smoothly convex. The entire sexual apparatus at this stage has the form of 
two curved empty cells or suspensors, connected above by a convex keystone-like cell 
full of granular contents (fig. 15,4). A great increase in size ensues in this latter cell, 
but the growth does not take place uniformly through its entire mass. On the contrary, 
it is confined to the convex surface, which, in consequence, comes to project more an 
more prominently beyond the suspensors (fig. 15, 0). The terminal surfaces of the latter, 
which were originally directed obliquely towards one another, alter their relative direc- 
tions as the growth progresses. Their upper edges are more and more widely separa 
by the unequal increase in the intervening mass; and the surfaces eventually come to 
lie almost in the same plane, in place of diverging, as at first (fig. 15,0). The young 
zygospore now appears as an almost hemispherical body, bounded on one side by a flat 
face, corresponding with the terminal surfaces of the suspensors. This appearance is, 
however, transitory ; for, as its growth continues, the zygospore gradually assumes à 
rounded outline, and eventually appears as a sphere supported on one side by two dilated 
suspensors (fig. 15, d). ‘This sphere is filled with coarsely granular yellowish conten 
These next become separated from the cell-wall and are invested by a distinct membrane 
(the future exospore) which rapidly increases in thickness and Me a deep-bi i 
colour, and. a second. delicate membrane foams within it. Whilst these p 
