BACTERIA WITH FUNGI. 169 



of Myxococcus incrustans (Torula myxococci-incrustantis n. sp. X Bacterium myxococci-incrustantis 

 n. sp.), which Dr. Zederbauer has kindly communicated to the writer, serves further to confirm this 

 impression. An examination of this specimen shows it to consist of a horny incrustation which at 

 least closely resembles a dried up mouldy plasmodium, blackened by the abundant fructifications 

 of a toruloid hyphomycete; and from the fact that the bulk of the mass consists of calcic carbonate, 

 one might perhaps venture the suggestion that it may be related to the Physareae. That a number 

 of organisms are associated in this lichen can scarcely be disputed ; yet whatever it may prove to be, 

 either as a whole, or in detail, it surely has no connection with any of the Myxobacteriaceae, as this 

 group is at present understood. * * * 



"Since the present paper was sent to the Gazette for publication a mounted preparation con- 

 taining sections of authentic material of Chondromyces glomeratus has been received from Dr. Zeder- 

 bauer and proves to be the conidial condition of Coryne sarcoides (Jacq.) Tul., to which the name 

 Tremella sarcoides was given by Fries. It need hardly be remarked that this fungus is a widely 

 distributed and very common form, well known to mycologists, having no connection either with 

 'lichens' or Myxobacteriaceae." 



In 1903, Molliard succeeded in obtaining normal perithecia of Ascobolus in cultures 

 on nutrient media by introducing into such cultures certain bacteria. The following is a 

 brief account of his work. 



He easily obtained the germination of ascospores of Ascobolus gathered aseptically. A luxuriant 

 mycelium was formed with abundant arthrospores, like those found by Brefeld. The white myce- 

 lium growing from these filled the culture-tube but produced very few perithecia. These appeared 

 only after 4 to 6 weeks and did not mature. In some other cultures perithecia appeared after 10 to 

 15 days and matured normally. In such cultures the perithecia arose on a few filaments, rising into 

 the air above the rest, which were wet with the liquid which bathed the substratum. A microscopic 

 examination showed that these cultures were contaminated with bacteria. As the original asco- 

 spores were taken from colonies on cowdung, Molliard assumed that the bacteria were carried over 

 from that source. To test this assumption he cultivated A scobolus on sterilized cowdung. A vigorous 

 mycelium was produced which remained indefinitely sterile, i.e., did not produce perithecia. When, 

 however, the mycelium was cultivated on sterile cowdung and then contaminated with bacteria 

 isolated from the tube cultures, only a few filaments appeared on the exterior of the substratum, but 

 these produced, in the course of 20 days, numerous large perithecia. 



From these results Molliard concludes that the bacteria are in some way responsible for the 

 formation of perithecia, and that we have thus presented a method for obtaining perfect forms of 

 many coprophilous and humicolous fungi. 



BACTERIA WITH MYXOMYCETES. 



Pinoy speaks of a symbiosis with bacteria as necessary for obtaining cultures of myxo- 

 mycetes. In his first paper he says that various workers have had bacterial contamination 

 in their myxomycete cultures and raises the question: "Can one obtain a pure culture of 

 myxomycetes?" He obtained cultures of two species of myxomycetes with bacteria on 

 solid media. The bacterial species was identified as Bacillus luteus Fliigge. The myxo- 

 mycetes were Chondrioderma difforme and Didymium effusum. The only evidence given 

 that bacteria are necessary to the growth of these myxomycetes is that, when transfers of 

 spore material were made after flaming the sporophores, some tubes remained sterile and 

 others gave mixed growths. 



According to Potts there is no symbiosis. The Dicty. mucor aides profits by the presence 

 of the bacteria, but the latter grow equally well when the myxomycete is absent. When the 

 Dictyostelium fruits on bacterial colonies it causes them to become transparent. A large 

 proportion of the bacteria forming such colonies are dead (98 per cent in one case, 83 per 

 cent in another), and when such colonies are examined under the microscope they are seen 

 to contain many involution forms and remnants of bacteria, but few or no normal bacteria. 

 The bacteria are killed and then consumed. 



Dictyostelium was cultivated in combination with four different bacteria: Bact. 

 fimbriatum, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis, Bact. fluorescens liquefaciens. It can 



