254 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



by light colored walls resembling those of the typical perithecium. 

 The occurrence of such abnormal forms, which may be quite frequently 

 produced on media rich in nutriment such as bran-agar for example, 

 and their resemblance to young perithecia, suggested the possibility 

 of a direct development of perithecia from bulbils similar to that 

 suggested by Bainier ('07), and an effort was accordingly made to 

 determine this point. Individual bulbils showing this tendency were 

 isolated and their further development watched in Van Tieghem cells, 

 while others were transferred to different kinds of media, moist 

 cotton, moist filter paper, etc., but in no instance could they be in- 

 duced to develop into perithecia, although when the moisture was 

 sufficient, they produced numerous germ tubes which grew out 

 forming the typical mycelium. 



Melanospora cervicula, n. sp. 



. Plate 3, Figures 16-24. 



Perithecia scattered or gregarious, superficial, membranous, semi- 

 transparent, straw-colored to brownish, globose to pyril'orm, 350- 

 450 X 450-550 n, with a definite neck 85-140/i in length, terminal 

 setae 100-170 // in length, erect, somewhat divergent, continuous, 

 sharp, subulate; lateral setae on the neck and upper part of the peri- 

 thecium; ascospores asymmetrical, somewhat crescent-shaped 10 X 

 25 n, yellowish brown becoming black; conidia common in tube 

 cultures, hyaline, spherical to ovoid, on flask-shaped sterigmata; 

 bulbils yellowish brown, irregular, normally 50-60 ju in diameter, 

 sometimes 100 /i, primordium one or more intercalary cells. This 

 form is also said to produce conidia on secondary "Harzia-like" 

 heads, and chlamydospores resembling those of Acremoniella atra. 



On rabbit dung, Cambridge, Mass. 



This melanosporous fungus was obtained from Dr. Thaxter who 

 had grown it for some time as a pure culture. It was originally found 

 on a gross culture of rabbit dung from the vicinity of Cambridge, 

 Mass., and has proved to be of special interest on account of its differ- 

 ent methods of reproduction. 



In addition to perithecia and bulbils, this fungus seems to have 

 associated with it two other spore forms, chlamydospores resembling 

 those of Acremoniella atra and also conidia produced on secondary 

 heads resembling those of the genus Harzia. Alcoholic material 

 furnished by Dr. Thaxter was used for the study of these two modes 

 of reproduction. This material was the result of a series of transfers 



