4 H. MARSHALL WARD. 



These phenomena were by no means uncommon with the hyphae of 

 Achlya and Saprolegnia grown, in summer, too long in the same 

 water ; of course the pathological changes are produced by different 

 causes in the two cases. 1 



Besides the main branches of the mycelium, certain small pyriform 

 or flask-shaped "outgrowths are given off at pretty regular intervals 

 from the cylindrical cells of the lai'ger hyphae (see figs. 2, 3, and 4) : 

 in some cases each cell or joint gives off such a short branchlet from 

 each side, in others from alternate sides. More rarely they are absent 

 altogether. In all cases examined the short lateral branchlet arises 

 as a simple bulging out of the lateral wall of the cell : as this proceeds, 

 the bud (as it may be considered) swells out, and its cavity finally 

 becomes separated from that of the parent branch by a firm septum. 

 The long axis of the bud-like protuberance is very generally, though 

 not always directed at an angle of nearly 45 degrees to that of the 

 portion of the main hypha lying nearer the growing point (see fig. 

 2, &c.) : its walls are similarly dark coloured and firm, and it contains 

 fine grained protoplasm much as the cells of the main hyphse. Mor- 

 phologically considered, the short lateral outgrowths are undoubtedly 

 of the nature of arrested branches. 



In one form of Meliola, growing on the leaves of a species of Con- 

 volvulus, I have observed a second form of the lateral branchlet (see 

 fig. 4), co-existing with the commoner pyriform type. In this case 

 the outgrowth was longer, narrowed into a sort of neck, and presented 

 the general shape of a Florence flask, seated with its bulged out body 

 on the parent branch. In some specimens, each cell of the latter 

 supported two opposite flask-shaped branchlets : in others only one, 

 with or without a pyriform body in addition. Sometimes one or tbe 

 other type occurred singly and irregularly (fig. 4). 



The flask-shaped body is sometimes open at the apex, though I have 

 never succeeded in observing anything emitted from the pore. These 

 flask-shaped appendages recall to mind the peculiar bodies figured by 

 Woronin in another group of the Pyrenomycetes (Sordaria),* and 

 although no grounds exist for correlating the two phenomena in detail, 

 the fact is at least worth recording that the lateral pyriform bodies in 

 Meliola are capable of subserving reproduction, as will be shown here- 

 after. 



1 There seems reason to believe that further investigation may throw light on this subject 

 in connection with the apposition of the cell-wall. 

 • » " Beitrage zur Morph. u. Phys, cl. Pilze," De Bary and Woronin, ser, ill. , plate 5. 



