192 PDopGE: METHODS OF CULTURE OF ASCOBOLACEAE 
trichogyne might easily escape his attention. He shows the archi- 
carp arising directly from the mycelium as a branch of an ordinary 
hypha and found no cases in which it arises from a conidium. 
Both methods of origin occur beyond question. He makes no 
mention of asexual spores and describes the vegetative hyphae as 
being rather coarse and larger than the hyphae of A. furfuraceus. 
This is not always true for the hyphae of A. carbonarius. His 
description of the pores between the cells of the ascogonium does 
not agree with my observations on A. carbonarius, but he has not 
correctly described the pores as they exist in A. furfuraceus. If 
his species is not really A. carbonarius it is certainly interesting 
that there is another species so similar in many respects, growing 
on carbonaceous earth. 
SUMMARY 
1. The ascospores of many coprophilous species of the Asco- 
bolaceae, which rarely germinate in artificial media under ordi- 
nary conditions, can readily be made to germinate by subjecting 
them to high temperatures, 50°—70° C., for five to ten minutes. 
In the case of Ascobolus carbonarius, which is terrestrial, many 
spores will still germinate when heated to 80° C. for five minutes. 
The heating process favors pure cultures, since the spores of 
many fungi are killed at these high temperatures. | 
2. Heating the spores appears to hasten the ripening processes: — 
half-grown spores of A. carbonarius can be germinated in this 
manner. 
3. Germination occurs about eight hours after the spores have 
been heated. The epispore becomes cracked in all directions, and 
two or more germ tubesare put out at short distances from the ends 
of the spore. 
4. The acidity or alkalinity of a medium is not an important 
factor in determining germination. The number of apothecia pro” 
duced may depend upon the reaction of the nutrient medium. 
5. The mycelium of A. carbonarius produces a large number 
conidia, some of which give rise directly to the archicarp- 
coil, the ascogonium, and the trichogyne. The tip of the tricho 
gyne sometimes becomes coiled about an antheridial conidium: 
Archicarps may also arise from the mycelium. 
