BASIDIA AND THE DISCHARGE OF SPORES 



in one of the Agaricineae, my mode of procedure was as follows. 

 A gill was removed from a living fruit-body, placed flat on a glass 

 slide, and then covered with a cover-glass. No mounting fluid was 

 used. The upper hymenial layer was then looked over with 

 the low power of the microscope. Often a basidium was observed 

 to have only three or two spores left upon it. The high power 



Hymenomycetes Excreting a Liquid Drop at the Spore-hilum 

 before Spore-discharge. 



was then applied, and such a basidium watched intently. The 

 remaining spores, as a rule, were then seen to be discharged 

 successively at intervals of a few seconds or minutes. Sometimes 

 my attention was directed to a basidium with four apparently 

 ripe spores upon it. Occasionally all four spores were then seen 

 to be discharged one after the other. For Hirneola auricula-judae, 

 Stereum hirsutum, and Polystictus hirsutus, sections through the 

 hymenium were employed. In these sections the basidia were 

 seen in side view. 



When the upper hymenial surface of a gill which has been 

 mounted in the manner just described is observed with the 



