278 '^he Philippine Journal of Science isie 



fungus, since from them either of these may develop. The more 

 or less gelatinous content of these large, sometimes almost 

 cystlike bodies may produce: a, spore-granules alone; b, 

 spore-granules and basic forms, larger and smaller; or c, basic 

 forms alone. Under the most favorable conditions (in my ex- 

 perience only on properly made banana media), the basic forms 

 thus produced within these bodies enlarge, become irregular in 

 shape, and after two weeks develop the saprophytic mycelial 

 fungus. This gelatinous body seems also to be very unusual, as 

 I have found no mention of similar bodies in descriptions of 

 other fungi. 



A striking feature of the study of this fungus has been the 

 difficulty encountered in converting the parasitic to the sapro- 

 phytic form and the extreme contrast which these forms present. 

 The difficulty of cultivation was not due to the lack of viability 

 of the parasitic forms, since they multiplied fairly readily in 

 certain artificial environment, but was simply due to the inability 

 of the parasitic forms to readapt themselves to saprophytism. 

 The real nature of the fungus and the significance of its tissue 

 forms could not have been established had not the utilization of 

 banana media accomplished its cultivation in free-growing form. 



Little can be said of the botanical classification of the organism, 

 pending further investigation of its relation to certain other 

 fungi, particularly in the manner of its endosporulation. It 

 seems likely that it will prove closely related to Monilia, though 

 it is distinct from that genus. 



The multiplicity of forms that this fungus may assume is 

 unusual for a pathogenic fungus, though the forms themselves 

 probably may be produced by other infectious fungi. Bodies 

 similar to those here called the basic parasitic forms have been 

 not infrequently described in other mycotic lesions, though in 

 some instances they are described as "spores," while in most 

 instances they have been thought to be products of degeneration 

 of tissue and fungus cells. They appear, on the contrary, to be 

 the basic multiplication form which a number of different fungi — 

 how many cannot be stated-^assume in adapting themselves to 

 the parasitic role. 



Fungi, in adapting themselves to conditions of animal tissue- 

 cell metabolism, undergo extreme modification in structure and 

 form. That these vegetable cells, so modified physically and 

 chemically as to be able to abstract nutriment from the more 

 dense body fluids and to utilize such material, may assume 

 characteristics that make it almost impossible clearly to dis- 



