as conclusive; and it was not until similar perithecia were acciden- 

 tally discovered on the surface of the material contained in one of 

 the flask cultures, that this supposition was proved to be correct." 

 The flask referred to was one filled with a mass of hyphae produced 

 from a macroconidium. The submerged portion was black from a 

 copious development of macroconidia, while the surface was covered 

 with a dense pile of conidiophores bearing mieroconidia. This flask 

 was accidentally broken. and out of curiosity Massee examined a por- 

 tion of the contents bearing mieroconidia. Two young perithecia 

 were found which were almost colorless and without spores but bear- 

 ing the long characteristic bristle-like, septate hyphae as did the 

 mature perithecia found on the decayed cane. Two examples of the 

 initial stage of a perithecium were found. The culture was placed 

 under favorable conditions for the further growth of the perithecia, 

 but unfortunately soon became covered with Penicillium and other 

 growth, and gave no further results. However, from these results 

 Massee concluded that he had the perfect stage of the fungus which 

 he named TricliosplMeria sacchari;. and as has already been stated 

 he concluded this stage to be derived from the macrospore stage, 

 which in turn arose from the Melanconium stage. The microspore 

 formation was considered somewhat in the light of a variation of 

 the macrospore formation, and like it to be derived from the Melan- 

 conium spores. It has already been shown that the genetic connec- 

 tion between the jMelanconium stage and the macrospore and the 

 microspore stages has not been demonstrated by Massee. It is 

 equally clear that the finding of perithecia amidst macro- and miero- 

 conidia on diseased cane and finding immature forms of some peri- 

 thecia .(possibly the same) on a culture of macro- and mieroconidia 

 which are not demonstrated pure cultures does not prove or any 

 more in the slightest degree suggest a gentic connection between the 

 macro- and the microspores and these perithecia. Thus Massee has 

 constructed the life history of the Melanconium fungus largely out 

 of assumption. 



It has been claimed in reference already quoted that Melanconium 

 has a fourth stage in the life history, that of ColletotricJium falcatum. 

 No work, however, was published to prove this assumption. 



"Went (39) in 1896 took up the matter of the relationship of the 

 Melanonium with the macro- and mieroconidia. These two latter 

 forms appeared to him to be identical with what he called Thicla- 

 viopsis ethaceticus and especially for that reason he wished to deter- 

 mine if there was any relationship between the various forms. Un- 

 fortunately the fungus with which Went worked does not correspond 



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