20 British Uredine^E and UstilaginecF. 



and suggested that this may in itself be the fecundative 

 act, but the same objection obtains to this latter suggestion 

 as to the former. 



As far as I can judge, the balance of evidence is against 

 the supposition that the spermatia are sexual organs. The 

 other supposition, that they are conidia, is more plausible ; 

 but one would have thought, had such been the case, it 

 would have been capable of demonstration. I have at- 

 tempted various experimental cultures with these bodies, 

 but uniformly without result. These consisted of the 

 application of the spermogonia in active germination in 

 honey and water — 



1. To the foliage of the plant upon which the spermo- 

 gonia occur. Thus the spermatia of yEcidiinn raminadi 

 repentis were applied to the healthy foliage of Ranuncidus 

 repensi^^i^. 123) ; * of Rcestelia cormitato Sorbiis aiicuparia 

 (Exp. 124); of yEciditnn bellidis to Bellis perennis (Exp. 

 244, 247). 



2. To the corresponding host-plant bearing the uredo- 

 spores and teleutospores. The spermatia of yEcidium ber- 

 beridis were applied to wheat (Exp. 392). 



3. Remembering the fact that the spermatia are carried 

 by insects, and that they germinate so freely in honey, they 

 were applied to the stigmata of certain flowers. I was 

 further induced to try these experiments from the frequency 

 with which the fruit of so many plants in this country are 

 attacked by the scidiospores of some of the Uredineae ; for 

 instance, the Mahonia berries, the barberry fruit, the goose- 

 berry, and the fruit of the hawthorn. The spermatia of 

 Aic. bellidis were applied to the stigmata of Bellis perennis 

 (Exp. 267), and those of JEc. ficarice to Ranuncidus ficaria 

 (Exp. 274), but no result was obtained ; the infected plants 

 produced in due course perfectly normal ripe seeds. 



* The numbers of these experiments refer to my private note-book of 

 experimental cultures. 



