EXTOMOGEXOUS FUNGI. 43& 



on any part of the body. These patches of blackened skin grew in 

 size until sometimes the greater part of the insect was covered ; but 

 usually the grub died before the patches covered more than a small 

 portion and subsequently it became a loose skin filled with a putrid 

 mass. The grub became usually inactive soon after the first ap- 

 pearance of the patches. This disease apparently killed off the 

 grubs under observation and became a general nuisance. A dilution, 

 culture from the diseased grubs was made and several species of 

 bacteria obtained, but none in sufficient quantity to point to it as 

 the cause of the disease. The fact that the grubs, placed as checks 

 to the other experiments, were constantly dying rendered it im- 

 possible to determine by infection experiments, which was the 

 pathogenic species. It is remarkable that the next season, that of 

 1894, was noticeable for the absence of June-bugs. Very few were 

 -seen at Ithaca. It is to be hoped that larvse showing the appear- 

 ance of a disease such as described, may be found at some future 

 time and the matter further investigated. 



SPOROTKICHUM GLOBULIFERUM Speg. 



This species usually appears in nature as a loose, white, cottony 

 growth enveloping its insect host in fine filaments which bear at 

 irregular but short intervals minute heads composed of conidia 

 closely packed into a nearly spherical form. These heads are sessile 

 and creamy white in color. 



This should probably be regarded as a form species, the real 

 species being in this stage, indistinguishable. In artifical cul- 

 tures from the Sporotrichum globuliferum taken from nature, some 

 of the forms progress to higher stages of development represent- 

 ing widely different species. These forms may some of them grow 

 differently in nature. Professor Forbes* describes and figures sev- 

 eral insects on which true Isaria-sporophores were pi'oduced by 

 infecting with a form found ou a dead insect larva. 



In this sense the form species Sporotrichum globuliferum is 

 analagous to the old Oidium erysvplioideSs a form species represent- 

 ing the conidial stage of various genera of the Ei^ysipheae. 



The typical form originally described as Sporotrichum globuli- 

 ferum was probably identical with the following which was found 

 on a carabid beetle in October, 1894, by Mr. Pieters. The growth 

 occurred in patches of conidia-covered mycelium from 1 to 1| mm. 



