
1901] GERMINATION OF SPORES 65 
no means general. The ungerminated spores of these fungi 
were entirely uninjured as to their capacity for germination after 
this period of incubation. 
LENGTH OF LIFE OF GERMINATED SPORES IN WATER. 
Spores of Aspergillus flavus and Botrytis vulgaris were sown in 
weak bean decoction, and after about eight hours, or when all 
had germinated, they were filtered and thoroughly washed. The 
masses of spores were then transferred to fresh distilled water 
and so preserved. The last sowing from these germinated 
spores was made after eighty days with Aspergillus, and at this 
time all were yet alive. With Botrytis, the last inoculation was 
made after forty days, with the same result. In the cultures in 
which these spores were tested, general growth alone was not 
depended upon, but individual germ tubes were located and 
growth from these directly observed. 
LENGTH OF LIFE OF SPORES DRIED OUT AFTER GERMINATION. 
Spores of Aspergillus and Botrytis were germinated as in 
the above experiments, and then dried on filter paper. With 
Botrytis no further growth could be secured from spores thus 
dried after twenty-four hours, thus in perfect agreement with 
the results of Nordhausen.32. On the other hand, inoculations 
from the Aspergillus material and careful marking and observa- 
tion of individual germinated spores gave a very general new 
Srowth after being dried out twenty days. After sixty-five 
days there was new growth from about half of those transferred, 
and after one hundred days there was no sign of growth from 
germinated spores. It would be interesting to compare further 
the behavior of parasitic and saprophytic forms in this respect. 
We know in a general way that the germ tubes of parasitic forms 
die quickly when dried. Indeed in an early paper by Hoff- 
mann it is stated that. “ Austrocknen im gekeimten Zustande, 
* NORDHAUSEN, M.: Beitrage zur parisitirer Pilze. Jahrb. f. wiss. Bot. 33 : 1-46. 
‘“SHoFrMANN, H.: Untersuchungen iiber die Keimung der Pilzsporen. Jahrb. 
f. wiss. Bot. 2: 267-337. 1860. 
