426 Agricultural Experlment Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 



ascospores, and the simultaneous appearance of the oval type, which 

 subsequently develojied into the form apparently identical with 

 Isaria farinosa^ would prove the identity of the two. Potato 

 cultures developedexactly as cultures obtained from the typical 

 Isaria farinosa. 



Tulasne was the tirst to remark the connection between Isaria 

 farinosa and what he identified as Cordyceps inilitaris.^ lie says, 

 the segments of the spores of Cordycejos tnilitaris put out threads 

 in germinating which branch after the manner of Verticillium, 

 and bear coridia resembling those of Isaria J'arinosa. He also 

 found what he took to be the conidia of Isaria farinosa among 

 the " I'oots" of the ascosphores. 



De Bary says : f "If the ascospores be sown in water or in 

 nutrient solutions without a living host, they germinate and the 

 germ-tubes develop hyph^e wliich branch with more or less 

 copiousness according to the amount of nourishment supplied. In 

 water only small plants are produced with few or no branches. 

 Some of the branches spread in the nutrient solution, and have 

 the power like the hyphte on the inner surface of the caterpillar's 

 skin, of adjoining cylindrical gonidia. It is true that this has not 

 been observed in the species in question." 



Since this form differs markedly from the typical Cordyoeps 

 militai'is in the spore characters, it would be interesting to know if 

 the specimens studied by De Bary and Tulasne, and thought by 

 them to be connected with Isaria farinosa^ possessed spore-char- 

 acters identical with this form, or if the difference in the imperfect 

 stages is due to variation. This question can only be settled by 

 making cultures from the ascospores of various specimens. 



Isaria farinosa (Dicks.) Fr. 



The typical form, — The following study was made from material 

 collected by Professor Atkinson in the fall of 1893, on an Arctiid 

 cocoon buried in leaves in the woods. The cocoon was covered 

 with sporophores about 3 or 4 cm. long. These sporophores are 

 orange colored at the base, the apical two-thirds having a white 

 farinaceous covering composed of colorless conidia, borne in a 

 manner resembling that of Penicillium on loose threads which 



* Selecta Fungonim Carpologia. 



t Comparat.ive Mori)liology and Biology of Fungi, Mycetozoa aiul Bacteria. 



