36 NORTH AMERICAN SORDARIACEAE 
3 and 5:30 P. M. They were mounted in water as usual and the 
frequency of the appearance of asci at the ostiolum noted. The 
data in the three cases were as follows: 
I. 30 asci passed out in 7 min. 
GERT 
AGO - OS M 
Other records made were discarded for various reasons, mainly 
because of uncertainty. The following day a more extended series 
of observations were made when results were obtained as follows: 
I. 30 asci passed out in 7 min. IO sec. 
2. 30 c <“ 46 ze 8 D I5 DÉI 
3 50 00 DÉI 4 [17 5 DÉI 5 ce 
4. 30 ee 46 ee ee 10 < 19 ee 
5. 33 ۰ DÉI DI DÉI 14 sc 
The fifth perithecium was studied for 65 minutes with obser- 
vations every 10 minutes of sufficient duration to determine whether 
the rate of ejection was constant. No variation could be detected 
until after 60 minutes had elapsed, and at 65 minutes the observa- 
tion was discontinued. At the rate given above about 153 asci 
must have erupted during this time. There were a great many 
asci left in the perithecium at the close of the experiment. 
The genus Delitschia has a functional internal membrane in the 
ascus very similar to Sporormia, apparently the only difference 
being the method in which the ascus ruptures. Instead of ruptur- 
ing at an apical pore the membrane opens by a lid or thimble- 
shaped portion breaking off very much like the ascus in Pleurage. 
In some of the species this is clearly marked off by a constric- 
tion ) 13. f. 17), which is only faintly visible before the rupture 
of the ascus, but is very distinct as soon as the membrane begins to 
elongate. Only a few cases of actual rupture of the membrane 
and exit of the spores have been observed. 
In making mounts and rupturing perithecia, it often happens 
that the asci become severed from their attachment by the stipe 
becoming broken off near the base. When this occurs some very 
peculiar phenomena may be observed )۶۸ r. f. r). The elastic 
membrane may push out of the narrow opening thus made in the 
stipe and form a long bag-like structure below the ascus proper, 
The spores may remain in the ascus proper, or some of them may 
be forced into the membrane below. 
عدت عم سم ۰ N‏ 
Stee 
