430 THAXTER. 



Gerrish Island, Kittery Point, Maine, a short time later; but it was 

 not till the following year, during a short stay with Dr. Farlow at 

 Chocorua in the month of September, that I found, on the hillside 

 near his house, a number of specimens in which the hyphae had pene- 

 trated to the surface and produced their peculiar fructification. As 

 the hypertrophy matures, it takes on a darker brown color and be- 

 comes roughened, owing to the emergence, directly through the epi- 

 dermal cells, which remain distinguishable in situ as a somewhat 

 disorganized layer, of closely associated more or less parallel filaments. 

 This penetration of the epidermis at first takes place at various points, 

 forming irregular areas which soon merge to a continuous layer of 

 vertically developed, brownish, simple or sparingly branched, rather 

 irregular elements; which have a tendency to become more or less 

 fasciculate, and are more frequently septate near the base. These 

 elements, which are paraphyses, are not as a rule clavate or otherwise 

 definitely modified at the tips. They arise from a denser region, or 

 subhymenium, just above the epidermis of the host; and, owing to 

 their irregularities in length and tendency to become fasciculate, do 

 not form an even smooth hymeniimi. The asci which finally develop 

 in connection with these paraphyses are not abundant, and are wholly 

 absent, except in certain areas which may sometimes be recognized 

 from the fact that the;>' take on a greenish yellow color, and have a 

 pulverulent appearance, although they are not actually so. In such 

 areas the asci are scattered as is indicated in Figure 2, A. They are 

 clavate in form, Figure 2, C, the extremities bluntly rounded, the stalk 

 rather short. The spores are subdistichous, dark l)rown, somewhat 

 pointed at either end. Figure 2, D, asymmetrical when viewed side- 

 wise, and subfusiform when seen at right angles to this position, one 

 margin, in the first instance, being strongly convex, the other often 

 nearly straight: and they are further peculiar from the presence of 

 numerous lines, the distinctness of which has been greatly exaggerated 

 in Figure 2, C, which run longitudinally, and are occasionally con- 

 fluent. The general appearance of the spore thus recalls that of 

 Wynnea americaiia or Choanephora cucurbitarum. 



Although the species is no doubt to be met with wherever the host 

 occurs, as is indicated by the fact that it has been found in three rather 

 widely separated localities in New England which are the only ones 

 where search has been made for it, I have been unable to find any 

 reference to it in the literature. The host, Medeola, is one which does 

 not appear to be subject to fungus parasites, the Phyllostida Medcolae 

 of Dearness and House, being the only parasite which I find recorded 

 on it. I have also been unable to place this very peculiar type in any 



