108 THE SAPROLKGNIACE^ OF THE UNITED STATES, 



cylindrical, terminal or intercalary, commonly in torulose series, their walls more or 

 less abundantly marked by small pits, and yellowish brown when old. The members 

 of a series may form, some sporangia and others oogonia. Antheridia very rarely 

 present. Oospores as many as twelve, oi- rarely more, in an oogonium, centric, their 

 average diameter about 25,«. 



Massachusetts — Amherst : 'New Hampshire — Mt. Washington, Tliaxter : Louis- 

 iana — St. Martinville, Langlois. Europe. 



A characteristic species which is not very uncommon with us, apparently. In 

 my Amherst cultures it has appeared twice, once from the very prolific mossy pool, 

 mentioned elsewhere, and again from algae (Spirogyra) from a small boggy area by 

 a brook. Prof. Thaxter has sent me specimens developed spontaneously on 

 Lepidopterous larvae in the "Alpine Garden," on Mount Washington ; and Mi". 

 Langlois has obtained it from a ditch in Louisiana. It shows some points of afBnity 

 with theferax group, as here limited, yet is very distinct. The antheridia have not 

 disappeared quite so completely as in S. ferax', and the oogonia contain less numer- 

 ous oospores, while their walls are much less pitted and are more deeply colored when 

 mature than in any of the previous species. American specimens do not quite meet 

 DeBary's character, " mit wenigen oder ganz ohne Tiipfel," as they always have, so 

 far as my observation of a large number of individuals goes, some pits, and often a 

 considerable number ; but these are always small. 



The best diagnostic character of the species is found in the successive formation of 

 walls in the same filament, cutting off as many segments, which may all become 

 sporangia, or all oogonia, or partly each. In the latter case, the terminal members 

 usually become oogonia. The oogonia remain attached to the plant until the hyphse 

 become disorganized, and therein differ from those of the next species. No better 

 evidence could be desired of the lack of fundamental difference between sporangia 

 and oogonia than the indiscriminate formation of both from exactly similar members, 

 at the same time, here observed. 



8aprol€gnia monilifera DeBary ('88). 



111. : DeBary, '88, PI. IX, Fig. 6. 



DeBary separates this species as a distinct type from the other members of the 

 genus, although, judging from his description, it would seem to represent a further 

 development on the lines of 8. torulosa. Its oogonia are formed in somewhat more 

 definite moniliform chains, all of whose members appear to have the same fate. 



