154 DopceE: METHODS OF CULTURE OF ASCOBOLACEAE 
A quantity of goose dung gathered in August I910, at the 
Zoological Park, was brought into the laboratory and _ placed 
in a tall battery jar completely lined with filter paper, and the jar 
was left uncovered to facilitate the partial drying of this freshly 
gathered material. It was left in this condition four or five days. 
The odor of ammonia, which had been very strong the first few 
days, became gradually less noticeable, but the bacterial decom- 
position appeared to be still going on rapidly. Examination 
showed, however, that the entire surface of the dung was covered 
with a dense aggregation of young fruits of Ascobolus Winteri 
Rehm. 
AscoBoOLUs WINTERI Rehm. 
Agar plates were prepared as described above, the nutrient 
being a decoction of goose dung. The effect of various tempera- 
tures, ranging from the body temperature of the birds downward, 
was first tested. For this purpose a copper germinating trough 
was used. This trough contained ten compartments covered with 
glass plates. It was heated by electricity so that the successive 
compartments were held at temperatures of 42°, 40°, 38°, 35°: 30°; 
25°, 25°, and 24° C. respectively. Petri dishes containing the agaf 
inoculated with spores, were placed in these chambers and ex 
amined from time to time for 48 hours with negative results in 
all cases. The plates were then set aside at this time and eX 
amined for two or three days or until they became contaminated 
with bacteria and other fungi. In no case could any germinating 
spores be found, though the conditions as to degree of heat am 
time of exposure must have resembled those in the bird. This 
experiment was tried several times with minor variations. Some 
times a low percentage of sodium carbonate or variou binations 
of other salts were added to the decoction used in making up the 
medium. The spores could not be stimulated to growth under 
any of these conditions. 
Some of the damp chambers in which the fungus was growing 
stood on a laboratory table exposed to direct sunlight. In thesé 
cases spores were occasionally found that had germinated in the 
film of moisture that always gathers on the underside of slides 
placed over the dung to catch the spores. An attempt was made 
