OF CERTAIN TERMITE NESTS 2 til 



form a permanent scaffold and have little effect on the ven- 

 tilation of the nest : they are not correlated to the size of the 

 nest in any degree. 



3. The particles of earth used in constructing the hill and 

 chimneys are covered with saliva in the nest, and are then 

 brought up and placed on the new work. 



4. The fungus grows on a comb which consists exclusively 

 of the excreta of the termites. These combs occur in every 

 chamber except the royal cell. There is no allocation of 

 different chambers for special purposes. Combs vary in 

 form according to the species of termite inhabiting them. 



5. The mycelium on the comb bears small, white, stalked or 

 almost sessile " spheres. " These consist of branching hyphae 

 bearing either spherical or oval cells. The spherical cells 

 do not germinate. The oval cells germinate readily, but it has 

 not been possible to reproduce the " spheres " from them. 



6. When the comb is old an agaric grows from it. This 

 agaric appears in two forms, one of which has been assigned 

 by various mycologists to Lentinus, Collybia, Pluteus, Pholiota. 

 and Flammula, and the other to Armillaria. It develops in 

 a cartilaginous, almost gelatinous, universal veil and is 

 a modified Volvaria. 



7. Sclerenchymatous cells occur at the base of the agaric 

 stalk and in aborted agarics. 



8. It has not been possible to germinate the spores of the 

 agaric or to grow the sphere-producing mycelium from its tissues. 



9. When the comb is enclosed in a bell jar, Xylaria stromata 

 are produced. Sclerotia may also be formed : the same 

 stromata grow from these. This Xylaria is probably 

 X. nigripes. 



10. The shape of the stroma and conidiophore depend 

 on the age of, and amount of moisture in, the comb. 



11. When sown on agar the spores of these reproduce 

 the Xylaria stromata. 



12. These stromata occur most abundantly on comb< 

 which have produced an agaric. 



