HOTSOX. — CULTURE STUDIES OF FUNGI. 241 



In cases where the transfer of conidia, only, was desired, two 

 methods were employed to avoid getting either bulbils or pieces of 

 mycelium. If the conidia were quite plentiful or were on erect stalks 

 so that they were somewhat separated from the rest of the mycelium, 

 this could be accomplished by means of a piece of nutrient agar on 

 the end of a sterilized platinum needle. By careful manipulation 

 and with the aid of a dissecting microscope, they could be touched 

 with the agar to which they adhered readily, and after exami- 

 nation under a microscope to determine if there were only conidia 

 present, they were immediately transferred to a new tube or a Van 

 Tieghem cell, as the case required. In instances where the above 

 method could not be used, or where cultures from individual conidia 

 were required to verify the relation between a conidial form and 

 the bulbil, Barber's spore-picking apparatus C07) was employed. 

 Plate-cultures were also used to advantage in some instances for 

 separating the conidia from the bulbils. 



Throughout this investigation, as already stated, the results ob- 

 tained are based upon pure culture methods and every precaution 

 has been taken to avoid error as a result of contamination. 



It perhaps should be mentioned at this point that it is the intention 

 of the writer to deposit living cultures of most of the forms described 

 with the Centralstelle fur Pilzculturen. 



Systematic Consideration of the Forms Studied. 



As has already been indicated, "Bulbils" must in all instances be 

 regarded as representing imperfect conditions of the higher fungi; 

 and like the members of other more or less clearly defined "form- 

 genera" may be associated with perfect conditions included in wholly 

 unrelated genera of the Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes. They 

 may, moreover, not only represent conditions of such perfect forms, 

 but may be further associated with one or more additional imperfect 

 forms. There may thus be present in some instances a succession 

 of three or even four distinct reproductive phases which together 

 make up the individual life-cycle. 



It has been the aim of the present investigation, therefore, to 

 endeavor not only to obtain further information as to the occurrence, 

 morphology, and development of these comparatively little known 

 structures, but by means of careful and extended work with pure 

 cultures to make some further contribution to our knowledge of their 

 actual relationship in different cases. 



