

tgor | BRIEFER ARTICLES 199 
of Pleurotus sapidus. The appearance of the larger plasmodium at 
this time may be described as follows: The gills which were still 
rigid and in natural position were connected in the invaded portions 
of the lamellar surface by bridges of slimy yellow protoplasm. ‘The 
basidial layers were covered by the more delicate portions of the plas- 
modial reticulum. The larger, more cord-like streams of protoplasm 
stretched from gill to gill, connecting as main cables the outlying 
pseudopodial fingers of protoplasm. The plasmodia growing upon 
several separate pieces of fungus were removed at 2 P. M. Friday, 
November 2, carried to the botanical laboratory of the University of 
Pennsylvania, and covered by two bell jars provided with dampened 
filter paper. By 6 p. M. of the same day the larger plasmodium had 
increased to such an extent as to cover completely the fungal pieces 
under one of the bell jars, and the gills showed signs of collapse. At 
9 A. M., Saturday, November 3, the gills were found to be in a total 
state of collapse, Fuligo by this time having taken complete posses- 
sion. Under the other bell jar the plasmodium, which was originally 
about the size of a silver dollar in superficial extent, had increased 
until it had spread to the outer circumferential margin of the lamellar 
area. In their attack upon the edible portions of Pleurotus, masses of 
protoplasm heaped themselves up into rounded: knobs, or protuber- 
ances formed by condensations of the myxomycete substance. These 
would disappear, to be finally replaced by. others of similar size and 
form. These observations were made on Saturday morning. The 
invasion and destruction of the gill surface was complete by Monday. 
An examination of the growth under the bell jars showed a most 
remarkable development of the larger plasmodium. It not only covered 
the fungus, but also the inner sides of the bell jar in the form of a 
beautiful yellow reticulum. The wet filter paper plastered upon the 
top of the bell jar was completely covered by a dense mass of anasto- 
mosing protoplasm. Upon the main currents of plasmodial move- 
ment were beads of protoplasm of larger and smaller size. Where 
these hung, as pendent drops on the moist filter paper, they had grown 
until the protoplasm hung, as yellow stalactites, dangling from the 
dome-like roof of the inner side of the bell jar. The dome of the bell 
jar on Monday was almost entirely covered by the yellow plasmodium. 
A strip of filter paper with the actively streaming plasmodium of 
Fuligo was removed from the moist chamber and placed in a dry situ- 
ation in the bright sunlight. As the filter paper dried, the protoplasm 
