1896 | CERTAIN PYRENOMYCETOUS FUNGI 309 
soon began to form around the spores, but whether the growth 
began from the germination of the spores or from attached frag- 
ments of mycelium was not determined. As only pycnidia and 
conidia were produced from these sowings, the cultures were 
abandoned. Sowings of py cnospores were next tried, but inseveral 
successive generations only pycnidia and gonidia appeared and 
there seemed no hope of reproducing the ascigerous fruit. This 
failure of the ascospores to reproduce themselves even in alter- 
nate generations seemed unnatural and another culture was 
attempted from the original material. This had meantime been 
kept in the laboratory and ‘had become old and dry and 
resisted all efforts to make it germinate. On January 25, 1896, 
some fresh material was collected by Professor Atkinson and from 
this ascospores were obtained which germinated readily in potato 
agar. Certain spores in the plates were marked and watched 
carefully until February 1, when they had attained distinctive 
characters and the numerous other colonies in the plates could 
be safely and certainly identified as the same. They appeared 
to the naked eye as dark spots with a light radiating fringe. 
With a carefully sterilized scalpel transfers of these colonies 
Were made to bean stems in tubes. Ten such tubes were pre- 
pared. The transfers were made in a close culture-room and 
_with the utmost precaution to avoid contamination. There was 
‘no doubt that these colonies grew from the ascospores, but prob- 
ably none of these colonies developed. For a long time no 
growth appeared. Finally, in two tubes, a few pycnidia were 
found, and in one or two other tubes non-related forms appeared. 
In the plates from which the ten transfers had been made there 
oe found (Feb. 3) a few colonies much in advance of those 
Which had been traced from the ascospores, but very strongly 
‘ssembling the pycnidia bearing colonies of previous cultures. 
hese, however, contained the beginnings of perithecia in some 
. Which asci had already developed. These colonies had 
ay grown from fragments of mycelium or of the ake 
€cla. They were removed piecemeal at short intervals of time 
(about three hours) and fixed and embedded for sectioning. It 
