10 NORTH AMERICAN SORDARIACEAE 
from this locality, doubtless the one diagnosed, as well as the one 
figured by Mr. Anderson, has been carefully examined, but nothing 
has been found which the writer can call this species. Sunken 
perithecia of Sordaria fimicola are present in considerable numbers 
and these are covered with a crusty layer which was the result of 
the drying of the slimy covering of the substratum. Professor 
Peck reports H. fimeti from New York. Aside from this latter 
and the very doubtful case quoted above, the stromatic forms 
appear to be most abundant at least in the dryer portions of the 
country. 
The entire absence of such forms as P. zygospora and P. vestita 
in the higher altitudes of Montana is also very noticeable. It is 
of course understood that the above observations are only tentative 
and are based on examinations of only about 50 cultures from the 
higher altitudes in the vicinity of Summit. 
METHODS 
The material which was contributed by botanists and friends 
from various regions as described in previous pages was cultivated 
mainly between October, 1898, and January, 1901. The cultures 
‚were made in large moist chambers, eight inches wide and two 
and a half inches deep. Several samples from the same locality 
were usually placed in the same dish, each being dipped in water 
for a few moments after which it was placed upon several layers 
of moistened paper and surrounded by it except above. After 
standing for about an hour after this treatment, the samples were 
again dipped in water for an instant and then returned to the moist 
chambers. This amount of moisture was usually found sufficient 
to keep the cultures in a vigorous growing condition for about 
four weeks. If they began to dry out too much the substrata 
were again dipped in water, or often a little water was sprinkled 
upon them. 
It was learned by experience that it was necessary to surround 
each sample with paper because spores from one would otherwise be 
ejected upon the other, and it would be difficult after ten or fifteen 
days to determine on which substratum the particular species origi- 
nally occurred. The paper also served to retain moisture, and in 
many cases furnished a substratum for the development of not 
