TERMITE FUNGI: A RESUME. 317 



Bathie. In their earlier communications these observers 

 considered that the internal fungi were connected with a 

 Podaxon which occurred in the neighbourhood of some nests, 

 but in their final paper that view was discarded. They find 

 that, in Madagascar, the terrestrial nests may be divided into 

 two classes, those in or near woods and those in the open ; the 

 former contain fungi, the latter do not, so far as has been 

 ascertained. The species of termite to which their work 

 relates is Termes perrieri. 



The combs of Termes perrieri bear white conidial spheres, 

 up to 1 mm. in diameter, similar to those found in other 

 countries. These spheres arise from a mycelium which 

 permeates the substance of the comb, and runs also over its 

 surface. Jumelle and Perrier de la Bathie call the superficial 

 mycelium the " forme rase." Towards the base of the comb 

 the mycelium may assume a different character. In that 

 region the comb bears numerous small protuberances, which 

 the authors regard as supports. From these supports the 

 mycehum may grow out in a tuft of hyphse, from which 

 there emerges a thick, cylindric, brownish cord, up to 3 or 4 

 mm. in length. These are considered to be abortive attempts 

 to produce the form of mj^cehum wliich grows when the comb 

 is abandoned. No other form appears so long as the nest is 

 inhabited. 



When the nest is abandoned, the scanty covering of 

 mycelium on the comb immediately gives rise to numerous 

 hyphse, which form a thick felt, 4 to 5 mm. thick, and also 

 spread from the comb to the walls of the chamber. This form 

 is styled by the authors the " forme envahissante." After a 

 few days it builds sclerotia of varying size and shape. In the 

 dry season these sclerotia remain sterile, but in the wet season 

 they develop a Xylaria. 



Jumelle and Perrier de la Bathie consider that the " forme 

 envahissante " is merely a further stage of the " forme rase." 

 Their reasons are : — 



(1) Un developpement aussi rapide d'un mycelium 

 nouveau sur un mycelium qui recouvre deja toute 

 la surface de culture dans un miheu qui lui convient 

 tout specialement est invraisemble. 



