200 GROWTH OF fiUNGL 



transparent, colourless, and, as far as can be ascertained by 

 examination with the highest powers, perfectly structureless, 

 and it exhibits these same characters in everything that 

 lives, and at every period of existence. 



The bioplasm of the thallus of the growing sugar fungus 

 exists in considerable quantity, and is well adapted for 

 examination. PI. II, fig. 3. The growing extremity of the 

 branch is rounded, and here the process of growth is going 

 on with great activity. When the operation of staining has 

 been conducted successfully, these growing extremities, as 

 has been already stated, are more deeply stained than the 

 rest of the germinal matter. A similar fact is observed if 

 one of the rapidly growing tufts of the placenta of the 

 embryo is submitted to examination. At the extreme end 

 of each tuft is a mass of bioplasm which is darkly stained 

 by the carmine fluid. Behind this, and growing towards it, 

 is the vascular loop. As the tufts grow, the mass of form- 

 less, structureless germinal matter at the end of each moves 

 onwards, the vessels being developed in its wake. This 

 formless living matter moves forwards and burrows, as it 

 were, into the nutrient pabulum, some of which it takes up 

 as it moves on. It is not pushed from behind, but it moves 

 forward of its own accord. In a similar manner the 

 advancing fungus bores its way into the material upon which 

 it feeds, PI. II, fig. 3 ; and the root filament gradually 

 moving onwards from its point of origin, insinuates itself 

 into insterstices between the particles of the soil. 



In the case of the hair, on the other hand, the bioplasm 

 grows and multiplies at the base or bulb, pushing the firm 

 and already formed tissue before it. In the instances first 

 mentioned, the bioplasm increases at the extremity of a 



