192 CURREY, ON REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OF FUNGI. 



its base ; that impregnation takes place in the cavity of the 

 cell, and that the ovum passes from thence into the ovicell — 

 there, as in a marsupial pouch, to undergo its further deve- 

 lopment. The testis has a similar form and structure, and 

 its position is invariably at the bottom of the cell in Bugula 

 Jlahellata, B. phanosa^ and Scrupocellaria scriiposa, but that 

 of the ovarium varies greatly. Thus in B. Jlabellata the 

 ovarium is placed at the middle of the back of the cell, and 

 is not directly connected with the funiculus ; in B. plumosa, 

 it lies at the apex of the back of the cell ; in Scrupocellaria 

 scruposa, it is at the upper and back part of the cell. The 

 ovarium rarely presents more than one or two ova. 



On the Reproductive Organs of certain Fungi, ivith some re- 

 marks on Germination. No. II. By Frederick Currey, 

 Esq., M.A. 



The following paper is intended as a sequel to a previous 

 communication on the same subject which appeared in the 

 last volume of this Journal (see vol. iii., p. 263.) The instances 

 in which a particular fungus has been observed to produce a 

 variety of fruits differing essentially from one another, are 

 already very numerous, and are daily on the increase. This 

 polymorphism of fructification is highly interesting and im- 

 portant, not only in a physiological point of view, but from 

 the effect which it must necessarily have upon the classifica- 

 tion of the vast tribe of Fungi. Not only have different 

 genera of the same order been already proved to be identical, 

 but Fungi originally classed in different orders, and appa- 

 rently of widely-different habits and structures, have been 

 proved to be the produce of the same mycelium. The facts 

 which I proceed to mention, are principally the result of 

 observations made since the publication of my former paper, 

 and they will, I hope, be considered interesting additions to 

 this branch of microscopical science. 



1. AsTEROsPORiUM HoFFMANNi — Kunze. — The fungus known 

 by the name of Asterosporium Hoffmanni is a plant which is 

 frequently met with in this country upon twigs of beech. It 

 was originally ranged under Stilbospora, but was separated by 

 Kunze as long ago as the year 1819, and erected into a 

 separate genus. Although the very peculiar shape of its 

 spores affords some grounds for this separation, the plant 

 accords in every other respect with Stilbospora, in which genus 

 it is still retained by some mycologists. Each one of the 



