— 120 — 



formation of aseogenous liyphae several colîs of the ascogonium 

 participate, as we stated above, but all the cells or only a part of 

 them have remained indistinct. As the aseogenous hyphae develop 

 the ascogonium gradually empties and finally disappears. 



The transversal sections of fruit bodies (fig. 7) gave the clearest 

 idea of the character of the branching aseogenous hyphae. The latter, 

 as can be seen, cover all the bottom of the perithecium. They 

 meet and mixing they form thick masses, and while part of the 

 branches give young asci, the others gTow and continue to branch 

 further on. 



The transversal sections, made on an unripe perithecium (tig. 11) 

 show that the aseogenous hyphae, rising from a common centre, 

 lying at the bottom of the fruit-body, pass into a cavity of the 

 perithecium, which by this time has been formed. The abundance 

 of ramification of the aseogenous hypliae and formation of a consi- 

 derable number of asci are, probably, produced, because they can 

 freely develop in the cavity, not being hindered by surrounding 

 cells, as is the ^case for instance with Discomycotes fAscobolus, 

 Pyronema). 



Between the seventeenth and twentieth day of development the 

 first mature asci, appear, with dark coloiu-ed spores, which scatter 

 out of the ostiole of the perithecium. Then new asci are formed, 

 and tins process of formation of new asci and the scattering of the 

 spores, continues in Podospora a very long time, for about a month. 

 To fix the duration of the time of fruiting of the perithecia, from 

 a smal] space of horsedung, laid in a thin layer over a slite, all 

 the perithecia were removed, with the exception of one. To define 

 the time of appearence of the first ripe spores, over the perithecium 

 a cover-glass was placed. From time to time the cover glasses 

 were changed. They were always covered with a large quantity of 

 ■spores. About a month later, Avhen the quantity of spores on the 

 glasses began to diminish, the perithecium was cut, and inside 

 were still found several asci Avith immature spores. This pheno- 

 menon, wjiich at first sight seems paradoxal, is quite comprehen- 

 sible, if one takes into consideration the mass of branches the aseo- 

 genous hyphae produce. 



These facts regarding tha formation and development of the 

 ascogonium, aseogenous Iiyphae and asci were obtained by investi- 



