Stoddcr.] 124 [February 6, 



ing asci and spores, but propagating itself by mycelium, and then it 

 may take on an ascoid growth quite dissimilar from its long non-de- 

 veloped appearance. Until you have asci and spores, you can never 

 decide beyond any doubt as to the species of a fungus. You may 

 even mistake as to genus. The mycelium accommodates itself to its 

 matrix, and takes on, therefore, excessively varying forms. 



The ascoid fungi infesting insects are all SpTiceria, so far as I know. 

 But Sphceria is now cut up into many new genera. Those forms 

 which bear heads of asci on an elongated stroma, are now called 

 Cordyceps. Several species are recorded. Your fungus is like S. en- 

 tomorhiza in its habit ; so much so that it has no peculiar characters to 

 distinguish it. It has no perithecia, and consequently, no fruit. It 

 has not reached a development which warrants a name. I should say 

 that it has all the appearance of Cordyceps, but in the absence of all 

 fructification, it is impossible to further name it. All I could give in 

 its present state would be : 

 Cordyceps (?) 



Stroma carnose, stipitate, color yellowish-white, about an inch in 

 height, a sixteenth of an inch in diameter. 



Parasitic on the larva of a lamellicorn beetle, sending up several 

 undeveloped stipes having the general appearance of C. entomorhiza. 

 Manila, Mr. G. M. Curtis. 



I repeat that I have no belief in the exclusive attachment of cer- 

 tain fungi to certain insects. Fungi grow on everything organic. 

 Some species have as yet been detected only on certain things ; but 

 this is so peculiar an exception, I place no reliance on the mere fact 

 of an individual discovery of this sort. I mean that in a favorable 

 locality, should you place the larvas of all sorts of insects under the 

 same atmosphei-ic influence, I believe that the same fungus would 

 grow from them all, in some of its many forms 



If you look in our Natural History Society collection, you will find 

 a fly in a pill box. From its back grow two little fungi, undevel- 

 oped, looking like two black pins ; I doubt not that they are some spe- 

 cies of Cordyceps. But in the absence of perithecia it is futile to at- 

 tempt to name it ; it may be Stilbum ; but that is now thought to be 

 immature Sjyhceria. 



Mr. C. Stodder said that he had made an examination of 

 this fungus, and remarked as follows : 



As an opaque object, the surface shows longitudinal ridges and fur- 

 rows. 



I could not obtain sections perfect enough to show the internal 

 structure satisfactorily. There is an epidermis of cells, containing col" 



