The Biology of Polyporus Pargamenus Fries 69 
maximum growth obtained in the indicated time with the 
best media used. 
Culture Media Used and Results Obtained.— Spores ger- 
minated as quickly in both distilled and tap water as they 
did in the nutrient media used. Germination in distilled or 
tap water was by no means so abundant and the growth of 
the mycelium was by no means so great as was obtained by 
the use of suitable nutrient media. It was surprising to find 
that one spore germinated in distilled water attained a length 
of 315 microns. Its subsequent growth, however, was not 
followed farther. The spores, whenever tried, exhibited more 
or less germination in distilled water. It is evident that an 
external food supply is not necessary for germination of the 
spores of this species, although it greatly accelerates the 
power of germination and serves to sustain subsequent 
growth. 
A good culture medium for the germination of spores in 
hanging drop cultures was made up as follows: Finely 
divided basswood (any other dicotyledonous wood may be 
substituted) to the extent of 15 gms. was boiled in tap water, 
the extract filtered, and water sdeied until it measured 200 ec. 
To this filtered extract was added 200 cc. of a 2 per cent 
solution of cane sugar and the resulting mixture was tubed 
in small quantities and sterilized. An even better culture 
medium consisted of a 3 to 5 per cent solution of Merck’s 
malt extract. 
A number of germination experiments were performed, 
using many unusual substances largely out of curiosity to see 
how resistant the spores would be to adverse conditions. It 
has been reported frequently that the germination of spores 
was stimulated by slight quantities of ether or alcohol, but 
such did not prove to be the case with spores of Polyporus 
pargamenus. 
Germination in a 0.5 per cent solution of ether was 
greatly retarded and only rarely was it observed even 
after eighteen hours. The mycelium from the few spores 
that germinated apparently grew well for about two days, 
but soon became extremely vacuolate and formed numerous 
