} 
CHANDLER— DONATIA NOVAE-ZELANDIAE. 47 
Under favourable conditions the mycelium and the gonidial 
cells pass from the condition of rest. After one day in water 
the mycelial threads swelled, and new transparent filaments 
were visible. After two days in water several of the gonidia 
had germinated, bursting the thick wall, giving rise to a promy- 
celium. 
Although Fumago is classed with the Ascomycetes, its life- 
history is not yet clear. Fertile hyphae are rarely seen, but in 
the species on Donatia,; now under notice, twisted filaments, 
such as are found forming an ascocarp in Penicillium, were ob- 
served twice. 
Conjugation of filaments, a feature that is not described in 
any one of the six species of Fumago mentioned by Saccardo,* 
is, however, common in the fungus on Donatia (Figs. 10 and 11). 
Two filaments may be seen lying parallel for the length of several 
cells, and a protuberance grows out from one cell only of one of 
the filaments until it reaches a cell of the parallel filament : it then 
fuses with it, and forms a distinct bridge between the filaments 
(Figs. toc, 11a). The more common method of conjugation 
seems to be that a protuberance is formed simultaneously on 
two cells lying opposite on the parallel filaments, and these, 
growing out to each other, meet, and the bridge is thus —_ 
by their union. 
The variation is quite in accordance with Zopf’s description 
of Fumago.t De Bary, too, cites this fungus as an example of 
a cycle of forms still more copious and various than that of 
Pleospora or Nectria ditissima. - 
* Saccardo, Syllogae cae iv, 547; xi, 638; xix, 1099. 
t Zopf, Nova Acta Leopol a, = 
