226 Mr Le Goc, Observations on’ 
material used has been collected from the vicinity of Byron’s Pool. 
It is found abundantly on Elder bushes both living and dead, and 
also on dead branches and trunks of Elm trees in moist places. It 
has been suggested that the Hirneola growing on Elm is not 
perhaps identical with the Hirneola which lives on Elder: the 
hymenium is decidedly freer from folds, but as a matter of fact 
spores from Hzrneola on Elder have germinated quite easily and 
are growing quite happily on blocks of Elm wood. It is usually 
stated that the fructifications reach a size varying from 4 cm. to 
7 cm. in diameter*; but it is often much larger and a specimen 
collected in this locality measured 21-6 cm. by 12 cm. 
_ The fructifications which are gelatinous under moist conditions 
shrivel to black, horny masses in a dry atmosphere. In this form — 
the fungus remains alive for at least five months, because after 
this interval it revives again when moistened and produces an 
abundant supply of spores—as in the case of Stereum purpureum 
and some other fungi. 
If a fructification which has been moistened is suspended over 
a sterilized glass slide, spores are produced after an interval of 
some 10 hours and fall on the slide where they form a thick white 
deposit. They can then be transferred into tubes of sterilized 
water or directly picked up with a platinum needle and used for © 
cultures. 
Germination of spores on the fructification. 
If the fruit body is kept moist for two or three days and the 
spores allowed to accumulate on its surface, it is often found that 
the spores germinate in situ. The mycelia reach a considerable 
length and in time form roundish protuberances projecting from 
the surface of the fructification. These projections prove to be 
webs of hyphae entangled together and enclosing a large number 
of ungerminated spores in a good state of preservation. The 
hyphae themselves soon undergo a process of disintegration; the 
glycogen contained in them breaks into small globules, regularly 
arranged in a chapelet which simulates a chain of “oidia.” The © 
ungerminated spores look healthy after an interval of more than ~ 
three months and are capable of germination. 
Germination of spores in liquids. 
The spores can be cultivated in hanging drops in sealed 
cells and easily observed under the microscope. Under these 
* Massee, Diseases of Cultivated Plants, p. 404. 
+ Brooks, F. T., ‘‘Silver-leaf Disease,” Journ. Agric. Sci. Vol. tv. p. 143; 
Buller, A. H. R., Researches on Fungi, p. 106. 
