126 Journal of the Mitchell Society [June 



brown and in age blackisli brown: dnll, not shining, the uneven mar- 

 gin somewhat fimbriated. Substance internally spongy and open, 

 soon composed of delicate little fibrous pillars supporting the dense 

 upper layer and springing below from a thin, superficial layer on the 

 wood. Basidia-bearing cells (protobasidia) thick, single, terminal, 

 surrounded by slender, bent, interwoven threads. Hyphae loosely 

 packed, considerably' branched, rarely septate, no clamp connections. 



Basidia appearing in spring from the distal ends of the resting 

 cells, irregularly cylindrical or club-shaped, the tip cell pointed at 

 maturity; sterigmata lateral or, on the top cell, apical. 



Spores (of No. 4293, print) white, smooth, long, curved, soon 

 divided into about eight cells, 3.5-4.7 x 15.5-20jii, sprouting in water 

 into small sporidia which are 1-1.8 x 3-6/x, or rarely sprouting without 

 dividing into a single large secondary spore about 3 x 12jii. The 

 length of the basidiospores is quite variable. In No. 4286 they were, 

 from a print, 3.7-5 x 18-30/x. 



This species attacks- colonies of scale insects (Chri/soniphalns oh- 

 scurus)* on living bark and at first is a thin weft of pure white threads 

 running over and among the scales; soon it becomes thicker, the in- 

 sects become more obscured and are finally hidden completely. About 

 this time there appear numerous free, upright, thread-like fascicles of 

 woven hyphae about 1 mm. high, which gives the plant a peculiar 

 hairy appearance at this stage. "We have not followed the life history 

 fully as yet, but it seems probable that these fascicles are to become 

 the supporting columns to the upper layer and that they form this 

 layer by later proliferation and fusion of their tips. The plant is 

 parasitic on the insects only and does not injure the tree. 



Burt remarks that in this species the spores are formed in May. In 

 Chapel Hill we find in January and February apparently grown and 

 full}' thickened patches of the fungus that are still pure white ; at the 

 same time are found more mature brown patches, some of which are 

 breaking up from age. Both the white and brown patches show fully 

 formed resting cells near the surface, but younger, less mature white 

 patches show none of these. In late April we find the l)asidia appear- 

 ing and forming spores. If placed in a damp chamber after soaking 

 basidia will appear and form spores in about two days. We have no- 

 ticed that while the insects themselves were onlv dead shells under 



* Determined by Mr. Harold Morrison of the Bureau of Entomology, Washington, D. C. 

 Dr. Speare of the same Bureau finds associated with our specimen another parasite of scale 

 insects, the fungus Myriangivm duriaei. 



