166 DopGE: METHODS OF CULTURE OF ASCOBOLACEAE 
up with varying strengths of decoctions of dung and of heated soil, 
and the percentage of agar used was changed to get media of 
different degrees of hardness. The spores germinated fairly well 
after being heated 20 minutes, the final temperature of the oven 
being 70° C. They appear to germinate as well in the heated 
soil agar medium as in the dung decoction agar. A germ pore is 
present, as has been shown by Overton (loc. cit. f. 75). Germ tubes 
are usually put out at both ends of the spore at points only slightly 
to one side of the ends (FIG. 1). Four pure cultures of this species 
were allowed to grow for six weeks. The mycelium branched pro- 
fusely in every direction and grew slowly and irregularly. Its 
appearance was such as to suggest that the nutrient medium 
was unsuitable for its normal development. After being subjected 
to daily examinations they became contaminated and were dis- 
carded. 
The following table shows the results obtained from twenty- 
six plates inoculated and heated to 65°-75° C., the time ranging 
from 7 to 25 minutes. The low average per cent of germination 
(40 per cent) is accounted for by the fact that eight plates were 
overheated. 
TABLE VII 
Spore germination in Thecotheus Pelletieri 
* di . : Positive 
Date Popa soar eames Time to daak of nba results, 
IgIr of plates RACES heat oven oven, C. | germinated} per cent 
Apr. I Goose d. 73 x pie 
*Apr. 4 8 Horse d. 20 min 65—70° 6 75 
Apr. 6 8 Goose d 20 min 70 3 37 
Apr. 13 I Horse d. 7 min 70° ve) . 
tApr. 19 8 Goose d. 25 min. 45° I 
AscosBoLus LEVEILLEI Boud. 
Damp chamber cultures on horse dung produced such a large 
number of mature ascocarps that the spores could be caught 
directly by inverting an uncovered plate over the dung for 28 
instant. In the first experiment three scattered clusters of spore? 
were caught on the medium. The plate was heated to 68° C- 
* Plates were left to cool in the oven with the door closed. The temperatut 
of the oven one hour after beginning the heating process was 55° C. 
Tt The porcelain-lined oven was used. The eight plates were stacked one above 
the other. Spores in the bottom plate, the one most heated, germinated. 
