Mr Price, Observations on Polyporus squamosus, Huds. 169 
Ultimately peculiar fructifications, which were, however, always 
sterile, and showed no signs of basidia formation, were produced in 
many cases, so far as present observations go always on elm wood. 
‘They took the form of rather elongated stipes with no indication 
of a pileus. On the whole they resembled the natural fructifica- 
tions, obtained by Buller, from logs filled with the mycelium, which 
were kept in darkness*. Some were unbranched, others freely 
branched and tree-like. 
Cultures kept in darkness usually developed a more abundant 
“mycelium than those in light, but never produced any fructifica- 
tions. 
) The mycelium penetrated the wood comparatively slowly, and 
except for the outer layer the blocks remained quite hard even 
after twelve months’ action of the mycelium. This is very 
“probably a cultural effect as the decay is certainly much more 
rapid in nature. 
Attempts were made to grow the mycelium on a decoction of 
elm wood extract solidified with gelatine and also on agar con- 
taining the same decoction. The growth was slow and feeble on 
both these media. 
The spores germinated in hanging drops of solutions rich in 
nitrogenous substances, as Buller found+. To follow out the 
manner of the germination of the spores on wood, and the 
penetration of the hyphae, numerous spores were placed on small 
sterile blocks of wood. The germination was slow, but the pene- 
tration of the hyphae could be traced after four to six weeks. 
Inoculations were also made on living elm trees, using both 
mycelium and spores, on new and old wound surfaces. The 
mycelium again penetrated slowly as determined by cutting 
sections in the region of inoculation. Infection seemed to take 
place more readily in autumn and winter than in spring and 
summer, while old wound surfaces and especially dead twigs were 
easily attacked. 
This last point is probably definitely connected with the slow 
germination of the spores and the relative activity of the region 
on which they are placed. 
The work was suggested to me by Mr F. T. Brooks, to whom 
I wish to record my best thanks for his constant interest and 
advice, 
* Buller, A. H. R. Researches on Fungi, p. 59 sqq. 
+ Buller, ‘Biology of P. squamosus,” loc. cit., p. 116. 
