Reproduction in the Mushroom Tribe. By W. G. Smith. 15 



which rapidly produces others of a like nature (Z, Fig. 3). Now 

 the same water which had the effect of immediately collapsing and 

 destroying the old cells, has quite a different effect on the new cells 

 as discharged from the fecundated spore, for the whole development 

 of the new plant depends upon the constant presence of moisture, 

 expressed juice of horse dung being perhaps best. A spore un- 

 pierced by the spermatozoids is shown producing a mycelium 

 peculiar to itself, at A, Fig. 3. 



A spore is commonly considered to hare some analogy with a 

 seed, but according to my views its analogy is rather with an unfe- 

 cundated naked ovule without an embryo, unless the nucleus within 

 the spore may in some way represent the rudimentary fungus ; 

 when the spores are formed within sacs or asci, the ascus bears 

 some analogy with the ovary. The cystidium, on the other hand, 

 represents with its granules the anther and its pollen. 



The six spores represented on the top of Fig. 5 are magnified 

 1000 dianif'ters, and each viscid spore, which is furnished with a 

 nucleus lighter in colour, but with a dark outline, has been pierced 

 and fertilized by one or more spermatozoids, whilst the unfertilized 

 spore at A has burst at both ends, and produced a mycelium of its 

 own. At B may be seen three spermatozoids which have burst 

 after twelve hours in expressed juice of hor.se-dung, and which have 

 also produced branching threads peculiar to themselves, reminding 

 one of a pollen tube. It is quite possible that these latter threads 

 may help to produce a new plant if they come in contact with the 

 spores. The large figure at C is similar in nature to tbe group at 

 Z, Fig. 3, and represents three fertilized spores which have burst 

 and produced the first minute knot or groups of cells of the cap of 

 a new fungus. These eighteen cells took four days for their pro- 

 duction, and the crystals belong to the expressed juice of the horse - 

 dung in which they grew. The spermatozoids as here shown begin 

 gradually to revolve after being kept in liquid for two hours, and 

 the movements last for at least four days. At first these bodies are 

 perfectly spherical, as at D, when they merely oscillate, then they 

 revolve slowly, and as time goes on, a single turn of a spiral makes 

 itself visible, and the bodies whirl round with great rapidity. At 

 intervals the motion entirely ceases, and then, after a short lapse of 

 time, the gyration is again continued. 



Judging from the presence of the eddy round these bodies 

 whilst whirHng (E E, Fig. 5), they are possibly provided with cilia, 

 but from the extreme minuteness of the bodies themselves I have 

 not been able to satisfactorily demonstrate their presence. The 

 whirling of the spermatozoids is sometimes so strong that when 

 they attach themselves to the spores they twist them round after 

 the manner of the revolving oosphere in Fucus. 



When the cells of the old parent fungus collapse and disappear 



VOL. XV. C 



