356 



exist in the cellulose coat, and having the same composition 

 as albumen, fibrin, and such bodies. I am not aware that 

 the analysis has been made in the particular case to which I 

 am alluding, but it has been made in that of yeast very care- 

 fully, and yeast is closely analogous to this. The delicate 

 soft contents of the bag are what has been known for many 

 years as Protoplasm. It is in this case homogeneous through- 

 out ; a careful examination discloses no granules in it. The 

 middle part only appears to be a little clearer than the rest, 

 that is all, the reason being that the fluid is in this part more 

 watery ; such a clear watery part as this is often called a 

 vacuole. The conidium consists, then, of a non-nitrogenous, 

 cellulose outer bag, containing a fluid formed of protoplasm. 

 Now, omitting all allusions to others who have worked at 

 this matter, and Avho have already determined nine tenths or 

 more of Avhat I have to tell you, I will give you some account 

 of the modifications which this body undergoes. From this 

 spore, under various conditions, proceed a great diversity of 

 forms. Suppose that you make a solution of oxalate or tar- 

 trate of ammonium in water, and add some yeast ash consist- 

 ing merely of phosphates and mineral matters, and then 

 scatter the grey powder from the mould into this — in fact, 

 sow it with conidia — they will find themselves in a suitable 

 condition for development. The spore in from one to twenty- 

 tmir hours, if kept in a suitable temperature, throws out a 

 process (fig. 2) which becomes longer and longer. Two or 

 three of such processes may be thrown out, which spread at a 

 great rate, and form a ramified star-like mass (fig. 3). This 

 growth in a short time produces thus a body a million-fold 

 bigger than the little spore from which it started. It has 

 taken place under certain conditions of temperature, food 

 (given in the solution), and access of air, though it is possible 

 that this last is not necessary. It is quite independent of 

 light ; it will occur equally in the light or in darkness. You 

 have in the solution absolutely dead mineral matters, the 

 oxalate or tartrate of ammonium and phosphates ; you place 

 in this solution a minute grain of protoplasm, su])ply a certain 

 amount of heat, and this little grain puts together the ele- 

 ments in that solution anew ; it builds them into a living 

 organism according to a type and pattern of its own. This 

 is the first stage in the growth of this organism, the develop- 

 ment of the spore or conidium into the mycelium. The myce- 

 lium is made up of these threads, which spring firstly from the 

 spore and branch in various directions, and are called hyphte. 

 Each hypha has the same composition as the spore, being merely 

 an elongated tube of cellulose with a mass of elongated proto- 



