Studies in Entomogenous Fungi. T. Petch. I31 
mata is identical with that of Nectria auranticola. The small, 
curved, Fusarium spores which occur in the latter have not 
been observed in Nectria coccidophthora, nor have developing 
perithecia been observed on its stalk above the base. 
The conidia are cylindric, or long fusoid, almost straight, 
slightly curved at the ends, hyaline, multiseptate. Up to 
eleven septa have been counted, but the most common numbers 
are six to nine. In the usual gathering, however, large numbers 
of immature, unseptate conidia are met with. In shape, they 
agree with those of Sphaerostilbe aurantiicola, but the tips are 
sometimes slightly more curved. Septation begins at the distal 
end, and it is not uncommon to find conidia which have de- 
veloped two or three consecutive septa at that end, before any 
are visible elsewhere. Measurements of the conidia from the 
different collections gave the following dimensions: 76-93 = 6 p; 
one 62 x 6p; 78-96 x 6-7 w; 88-98 x 6; 88-106 x 6-7 p; the 
total variation is 62-106 x 6-7. The conidia agree in shape 
with Zimmermann’s figure, but I have not met with any 
110-120 long. In the available collections, the conidia of 
Sphaerostilbe aurantiicola usually attain a greater maximum 
length than those of this species. 
The perithecia may be scattered, or clustered in groups up 
to ten. They are sometimes situated at the bases of the synne- 
mata, but in general they are found on scales which do not bear 
any conidial fructification. They may be seated on a narrow 
floccose stroma round the scale, or the stroma may completely 
cover the scale, and the perithecia may be scattered over it. 
On the other hand, they may arise at the margin of the scale 
without any visible stroma. 
The perithecia are subglobose or subconoid, 0:2—0-3 mm. dia- 
meter, collapsing laterally, orange-red at first, becoming blood- 
red, subtranslucent, covered with minute yellow, or yellowish- 
red, granules except round the ostiolum (Plate III, fig. 6). 
Weathered specimens lose the granular covering, and are blood- 
red to dark red, but when magnified the area round the ostiolum 
is evidently smoother than the rest of the wall. The shape of 
the ostiolum is highly variable: as a rule, it is slightly papillate, 
with a flat papilla about 60 w diameter, but in some specimens 
the apex is merely obtusely conical. In one gathering, on 
Chionaspis, a few of the perithecia have the ostiolum produced 
and cylindrical, up to 96m high and 106m diameter, but in 
other examples on the one scale they are simply slightly 
papillate. This variation makes it impossible to separate the 
scale insect Sphaerostilbes on the shape of the ostiolum. The 
wall, viewed by transmitted light, is orange-yellow in immature, 
or young, examples, but red-brown in old specimens. The 
structure is generally obscure, but in some cases thick-walled 
