OF CERTAIN TERMITE NESTS. 231 



head smaller than that of the compact pot-grown form. Each 

 lobe now bears only two basidia. As a rule, each basidium 

 bears one chain of spores, but instances of two chains on a sin- 

 gle basidium can be found. 



The preceding account refers to the growth on normally 

 inhabited combs, but the greatest production of these stromata 

 always occurs on combs which have previously produced an 

 agaric. These however generally differ from the forms already 

 described. If the comb is allowed to become somewhat dry. 

 simple stromata are obtained (PI. XIII. A ) : these grow to a 

 height of 4 to 5 centimetres. They are stronger than 

 the simple stromata from normal combs, and have a firmer core 

 of thickened hyphae enclosed in a well- developed black cor- 

 tex. They bear conidiophores of the type of fig. 26 or 29, but 

 these are generally scattered instead of forming a continuous 

 layer. As a rule, however, the stromata branch dichotom- 

 ously after attaining a height of a few centimetres and produce 

 the structures illustrated on PI. XIII. B and C. If the comb 

 is fairly moist, the ultimate branches divide into single hyphae 

 without producing conidiophores and collapse on drying. 

 PI. XIII. B. and C. show the growth of the same group at the 

 end of four and five days respectively. A portion of an agaric - 

 bearing comb was placed under a bell jar on 30th October (after- 

 noon). On 1st November loose developing stromata up to 2 

 centimetres high were present, together with an abundance of 

 white spreading hyphae on the comb. On 2nd November the 

 stromata were up to 3 centimetres high and 2 to 3 milli- 

 metres in diameter ; the larger had become firm and showed in- 

 dications of branching, but the majority resembled loosely 

 twisted locks of wool. On 3rd November when the first photo- 

 graph was taken, the largest stroma had formed a tree-like struc- 

 ture with branches dividing into single hyphae ; on the previous 

 day this was growing obliquely, and terminated in a slender 

 glabrous projection, only about one-quarter the diameter of 

 the lower part and springing abruptly from the truncate apex . 

 but by 3rd November new growth had taken place vertically 



9(8)06 (18) 



