220 Transactions of the 



of spores burst through the cuticle of the plant on which they grow, 

 free of each other, and when more compact than usual not held 

 together by a gelatinous medium." 



This year, being on the look-out for the first outburst of 

 Podisoma, it was noticed on the 29th February, on a Carpet 

 Juniper not in a particularly warm situation, but the temperature 

 was, as is well known, above the average of that month. A note 

 made at the time says : — " Immense numbers of red or red-brown 

 protospores burst through the bark in patches, each spore detached ; 

 no gelatinous enveloping mass. With 2 — 3" objective looked 

 like a multitude of garnet beads; with 1 — 5" the two-celled 

 character of each protospore and its granular contents became 

 distinct." The protospores varied in size, and many of them 

 differed somewhat from the typical form. Some were more elon- 

 gated, others more squat ; some had little nipples at the top, and 

 others had smoothly-rounded tops. Amongst them were found a 

 few trilocular cells, and one delicate crescentic S]Dore-case with 

 about twelve divisions. 



Portions of this Podisoma, with the bark of the wood on which 

 it grew, were placed on parchment paper and moistened. In a 

 few days some jelly was formed, but further development did not 

 occur, and it was soon covered with a white mould. 



On the 2nd March the Juniper Podisoma was first seen on Irish 

 juniper trees, without any gelatine. The outcrop was in much 

 smaller patches than that of P. fuscum on the Carpet Juniper, and 

 had the aspect and feel of httle tufts of dry sponge. The biggest of 

 this date were not more than 1 — 8" long. Viewed as an opaque object, 

 these tufts looked like aggregations of brown spun sugar threads ; 

 those on the surface projecting, each one distinct from its neighbour, 

 the rest adhering close together, but no sign of jelly. With suffi- 

 cient magnification the structure was seen, a two-celled protospore 

 growing at the end of each thread. Portions were squeezed in a 

 compressorium, and a multitudinous entanglement of mycelium 

 threads disclosed, on which the protospores grew. The appearance 

 of P. juniperi in this stage was not at all like the garnet-bead 

 aspect of P. fuscum. Some multilocular cells were mixed with 

 the characteristic cells of this fungus. Many of the protospores at 

 this stage difi'ered more or less from the normal forms. 



By the 18th March P. fuscum had formed a good deal of 

 gelatinous matter on Carpet Juniper, and a little on the Irish 

 Juniper was formed by P. juniperi. By the 29th the fungi on 

 Carpet Juniper had passed the stage of distinct development of each 

 gelatinous mass; adjacent masses had become confluent, and all 

 were in a soft, pappy state. Portions of this jelly showed under 

 the microscope that great numbers of the protospores had germi- 

 nated, and this had taken place with more irregularity of detail 



