Entomogbnous Fungi. 425 



months, many small rounded bodies (Figs. 52 and 53), probably 

 undeveloped perithecia, were developed in the potato jnst under the 

 layer of mycelium. These bodies were usually spherical and meas- 

 ured from 100 to 240 microns. Sometimes two or three unite into 

 a compound mass. No asci are visible on crushing them. 



CORDYCEPS MILITARIS var. 



The specimen from which this study was made was found. by 

 Professor Atkinson in the fall of 1893, on the lava of some unknown 

 insect which was buried in rotten wood. The two slender orange 

 colored sporophores protruded, bearing heads about 1^ mm. in 

 diameter and 2 to 3 mm. in length. The entire sporophore is about 

 1 cm. in length. The heads of this form are apt to be more nearly 

 globose than the typical form. The perithecia are crowded with 

 their bases only, immersed. The form is conical, ending in a dark 

 ostiolum. The asci are long, slender, tapering to a slender base. 

 They are from 200 to 280 microns in length. The apex is slightly 

 swollen and empty, giving the appearance of a hyaline cap. The 

 long, slender spores are divided into segments about 3 microns in 

 diameter, and 6 to 9 microns in length (Figs 21 and 22). 



On May 31st, a dilution culture was made and from it a pure cul- 

 ture of a form apparently identical with Isaria farinosa was 

 obtained. But as it was impossible to trace the germination from 

 the cylindrical segments of the ascospores, a second dilution cul- 

 ture was made. The material was this time taken from an unripe 

 portion of the head and no growth resulted. A third time the 

 sowing was repeated in hopes of tracing the germination from the 

 ascospores. At the end of two days, however, the spores from 

 which the growth proceeded did not resemble ascospores but were 

 oval and larger. The small number of ascospores was noticeable, 

 for when sown, no spores except ascospores were visible, and after 

 two days, fully three-fourths of the spores present were of the oval 

 type. The cylindrical spores remaining refused to germinate. One 

 more dilution culture was made with no better results, and the 

 materials having been nearly exhausted, the attempt was abandoned. 

 From a later study of Cordyceps militarise I have come to believe 

 that the largeroval type of spore is merely the inflated state of the 

 true ascosphore. Although no oval spores were, in this case, seen to 

 remain in chains, it would seem that the disappearance of the 



