ON SAPBOLEGNIiE. 279 



(fig. 4), and all were nearly in the same stage of development 

 at the same instant; consequently the exit of the zoospores 

 from the spherical envelopes can he readily observed when the 

 critical time is carefully watched. 



The mass of empty envelopes remain behind; appearing as 

 an exceedingly delicate network (fig. 6), and even simulating 

 parenchyma of great tenuity, mutual pressure causing the 

 spheres to become polygonal. Here and there the minute pore 

 can be observed as a dark spot in the side of the envelope, and 

 sometimes a zoospore escapes much later than its companions. 

 There is little more to be said of the zoospores. Some time 

 after their exit they come to rest, round off, and each at once 

 commences to put forth a simple tube (fig. 7), having first lost 

 its cilia and vacuole, and acquired several brilliant granules, 

 which become arranged around the periphery. If the germina- 

 tion occurs on a proper matrix, such as a meal-worm, fly, &c., 

 the tube enters and commences to grow into a rhizoid-like por- 

 tion, a new thallus becoming developed from outside. On glass, 

 «Src., the tube soon reaches the end of a limited growtli, its con- 

 tents fade, and the whole dies. 



Among other abnormalities in the course of phenomena such 

 as the above, mention should be made of one which is not un- 

 commonly met with, and which I have drawn at fig. 8. In 

 certain of the zoosporangia the completely separated zoospores 

 remain behind, rounded off, and form their delicate membranous 

 envelopes while still in the cavity; not only so, they germi- 

 nate in this position, each pushing a short tube through the 

 sporangium wall (fig 8, j?) before emptying its contents on 

 the exterior. Tn the example figured, the apex of the sporan- 

 gium became open in the usual manner at length. The figure 

 B represents part of a under a higher power and twenty- 

 three hours later. These " Dictyuchus " forms were obtained 

 from specimens of Achlya polyandra which had remained 

 about six hours in the same water on a slip of glass ; towards 

 the end of the period the fungus was obviously passing into 

 a state of inanition. As fig. 8 B shows, the sporangium be- 

 comes filled with an ai)parent tissue of extreme delicacy — the 



