308 Agricultukal Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 



at the point of the tiansplautiiigs. The threads of the fungus grew 

 both within the tissues and upon the surface of the stems. In macro- 

 scopic appearance tlie surface growth first formed a scant downy, 

 whitish weft with a number of ascending and procumbent threads at 

 the advancing edge of the weft. From the center of groAvth this was 

 soon succeeded by a darkening of the fungus, brouglit al)out chiefly by 

 the discoloration of the threads lying close to the substi'atum, and the 

 appearance of stroma or stools scattered over the surface which gave 

 the stem a punctiform appearance. This growth spread until the entire 

 surface of the stems so far as the moisture extended presented a 

 blackened or charred aspect, studded with numerous black points. 

 The fungus also grows out upon and in the infusion in which the stems 

 are partly immersed, and in time form a thick weft. 



The elevated stools when magnified simulate in form a pezizoid 

 stroma, being attached to the substratum by a very short stem, and 

 presenting a plane or convex surface, their perpendicular diameter 

 being less than their horizontal diameter. These stools perform the 

 same function in the artificial cultures that the pustules on the berries 

 do, and produce myriads of fuliginous navicular spores. The superfi- 

 cial position of the fruiting stroma is probably due to the difference in 

 the substratum. Sometimes the spores are borne upon the surface of 

 the dark stroma, or very frequently the stroma forms apseudo-pycnidiiim 

 covered with loose threads some of which bear spores, but the center is 

 occupied by a hymenium from which numerous basidia converge 

 toward the center of the cavity and bear multitudes of the character- 

 istic spores, as shown in figures 1 and 2. When the stroma attains 

 some size there may be several cavities at different relative depths. 



When the cultures in the Petrie dishes were about one month old 

 the plates were photographed and plate No. 3 is reproduced in figure 3. 

 Since this was a dilution culture for the separation of the fungus the 

 culture is a mixed one and other colonies than those of the Melanconiiim 

 fuligineuni appear in the plate. Up to this time in the agar the colonies 

 remain colorless. The growth in dilution culture No. 3 where the 

 fungus had more room did not exceed 1 cm, in diameter, and while the 

 growth was not quite compact, radiating threads are shown on the 

 margin of the colony. In the photograph the colonies of 3Ielanconium 

 fxdigbxen.m are those of the medium size and the places from M'hich the 

 transplautings were made can readily be seen. In the illustration 

 beside the Melanconium are common moulds, bacteria, and a dark yeast 

 form which produces deep black points in the medium. 



Compared with cultures of the type of Gloeospormni fructigenuin 

 which has fallen into my hands, the Mdanconium fuliginewnx 



