io6 



RESEARCHES ON FUNGI 



Fomes develop and liberate their spores. This puzzle, so far as 

 the Tinder Fungus, Fomes fomentarius, is concerned (Figs. 36 and 

 37), has recently been solved by Dr. J. H. Faull of the University 

 of Toronto. The late Professor G. F. Atkinson of Cornell University, 

 whose knowledge of fleshy fungi was very great, told Dr. Faull a 



FIG. 36. Fomes fomentarius. A number of fruit-bodies, each several years old, 

 on a Yellow Birch trunk in a wood near Phillips, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Photo- 

 graphed by C. J. Humphrey of the Forestry Branch of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture. 



few years ago that he had never been able to discover any spores 

 on the hymenium of Fomes fomentarius ; and he laid a wager that 

 Dr. Faull would be equally unsuccessful. Dr. Faull accepted this 

 challenge and, thereafter, by systematic investigation, made the 

 interesting discovery that Fomes fomentarius develops each new 

 layer of hymenial tubes in the autumn but delays the production and 

 liberation of spores from these tubes until the spring. Thus, between 

 the autumnal development of a layer of tubes and the vernal 

 development of the basidia and spores, there is a winter resting 



