SPORANGIA IN THE GENUS STEMONITIS. 6 



the first to be precipitated. In the case before us it is evident 

 that secretion and evaporation had sufficiently advanced for the 

 partially purified plasm, in accordance with the laws of colloidal 

 physics, to begin dividing into smaller masses ; each separating 

 mass being indicated by one of the surface hemispheres, and 

 furnishing the material for a distinct sporangium. While these 

 results were coming to light, other developments commenced 

 which were to appear later on. 



To proceed. By 4 p.m. the whiteness of the upper surfaces 

 had changed to a creamy tint, or more correctly to a very light 

 pale brown. Also the area covered by the hemispheres was 

 contracting and at the same time rising to a higher elevation. 

 That is to say, each aggregation of plasm-masses was growing 

 taller and beginning to assume a somewhat conical shape (PL 1, 

 fig. 3). The lower two-thirds of the plasm had become columnar ; 

 the mass immediately beneath each surface hemisphere being 

 now at the summit of a pillar, forming as it were its capital. 

 The pillars were milky- white, semi-transparent, and of smaller 

 circumference than the tinted capitals which crowned them. 

 This means that although the plasm masses of the upper third 

 were still crowded together, there were clear spaces between 

 the pillars which supported them. The artistic effect was 

 strangely beautiful. Each cluster of the half -formed sporangia 

 now seemed to be a miniature temple of surprising loveliness 

 not easily forgotten when once seen. 



In another half-hour black stalks were visible at the centres 

 of the pillars. At 6 p.m. the sporangia, now obviously those 

 of Stemonitis, were nearly half an inch in height ; and by 

 8.30 the whole of the plasm had risen clear of the fungus, and 

 was resting on a forest of stalks, 0*125 inch long. On the 

 surface of the fungus from which it had ascended, the plasm 

 had left a whitish sedimentary deposit, which formed a mem- 

 branous hypothallus ; and this subsequently assumed a silvery 

 hue. On the tops of the clusters of sporangia some watery 

 plasm was all that remained of the hemispheres, which had 



