358 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[Dec 



soon as the conidia developed in the drop in a moist cham- 

 ber reach the air, the walls thicken irregularly and as- 

 sume a fine watery appearance. Fig. 7 shows the sub- 

 merged head, fig. 12, older conidia grown in the air. No 

 pictures could be taken that give an adequate idea of the 

 number of conidia formed in a chain, as in their growth 

 they extend so far beyond the plane of the water drop 

 that it was impossible to focus them. And again they are 

 so lightly held together that any attempt to mount them 

 under a cover-glass causes them to separate. 



The formation of conidia is the only method of repro- 



duction known ; no perithecia have been observed, though 

 they have been mentioned by the earlier investigators, 

 but this has come about through the erroneous designa- 

 tion of the fungus as a Eurotium. 



Physiology. — To determine if the mould were capable 

 of causing alcoholic fermentation, the mould spores were 

 sown in ten per cent solutions of maltose, dextrose, lac- 

 tose; and sucrose, also wort, all in fermentation tubes. No 

 gas was generated nor was any alcohol formed. The mould, 

 however, grew much better in dextrose and maltose than 

 in lactose and sucrose. The lactose growth remained 

 meager, but the sucrose was merely slower, finally reach- 



