120 CURREY, ON FUIS'GI. 



heated the membrane and the ringed cells entirely disappear, 

 leaving only the inner secondary cells, which when free are 

 usually globular, as shown in fig. 11. These latter cells arc 

 colourless and of a granular aspect, but have a clearly distinct 

 membrane of their own, and are not merely the coagulated 

 contents of the cells within which they are produced. They 

 become of an intense brown colour upon the application of 

 solution of iodine. Before using the above process I had 

 ascertained the existence of these internal cells by soaking 

 the spores in hydrochloric acid and pressing the thin glass 

 cover, which resulted in the fracture of the coats of both the 

 sporangium and the ringed cell, and the escape of the inner 

 cell, as shown in fig. 13. In many of the fruits upon whicli 

 the hydrochloric acid had been left to act without pressure, 

 the pores became extended into broad circular cavities, and 

 the inner cell protruded itself in the manner shown in fig. 

 14, producing an appearance Avhich at first sight might be 

 taken for germination. 



From the above description it vvill, I think, be seen that the 

 fruit of Phragmidium hardly differs from that of the ascigerous 

 fungi. Perhaps a closer resemblance might be found in the 

 abnormal fruits of some of the Coniomycetes, such as Hender- 

 sonia, Steganosporium, or Prosthemium, but there is little 

 doubt that these latter fruits are themselves only modified 

 forms of the asci of well-known fungi of a higher class. It 

 may be as well to state, that the outer membrane spoken of 

 above usually dissolves altogether under the action of the acid, 

 or breaks up into fragments, which adhere to the ringed cells 

 after their escape ; but if a sufficient number of observations 

 be made, and imder different degrees of heat of the acid, 

 some specimens will be found in which the internal cells have 

 escaped, leaving nothing behind but the transparent outer 

 membrane in the form of an empty sac. 



The structure of the pedicel of the fruit requires a passing 

 notice. In the ' Botanische Zeitung' for 1853, Fresenius, in 

 criticising some figures in the ' Ilandbuch der Allgemeinen 

 Mycologie,' ridicules Bonorden for speaking of a " Saft- 

 Zelle,^' in the interior of the pedicel, and leaves it to be 

 implied that such a cell exists only in Bonorden' s imagina- 

 tion. It is strange that so accurate an observer as Frcsc- 

 nius should have fallen into such a mistake, for the existence 

 of the internal cell may be demonstrated Avithout the least 

 difficulty by merely soaking the spores in water. Figs. 

 16 and 17 represent specimens of Phragtnidium bulbosum 

 and Phragmidhwi mucronatma treated in that manner, in 

 which the outer membrane of the pedicel has given way. 



