ABSENCE OF ASCOGONIUM 
male) cells takes place just before the formation of the 
idium or its representative ; in the reduced mucro- and other 
ms, such as P. Adowae and Uromyces Scillarum, it is probable 
it the conjugation of the two (vegetative) cells takes place 
some more or less indefinite period before the formation of 
eutospores. 
There is a general agreement among investigators that a 
ucture resembling an ascogonium (from which the mass of 
sal cells may be supposed to originate) does not exist in the 
edinales, notwithstanding the suggestions to that effect by 
wssee (1888) and Richards (1896). If it did exist, or had 
sted, it would do something towards accounting for the 
finiteness in form usually presented by an ecidium; if it is 
ially unrepresented, the ecidium cannot be regarded as a 
phological unit, but only as a collection of female cells. It 
possible that traces of its existence are shown by the large 
iultinucleate cells, containing 12—15 nuclei, which have been 
scribed by Olive (1908) in the mycelium at the base of the 
ung ecidium of Puccinia Cirsii-lanceolati and by others at 
2 base of teleuto-sori, but this question must remain open till 
‘ther investigations are made. The existence of an asco- 
nium of that kind would, of course, be inconsistent with the 
chogyne-interpretation of the sterile tip-cell in the ecidium. 
fEcidiospore-mother-cells and excidiospores with three or 
an more nuclei are frequently met with; these represent the 
sult of a fusion of three or more cells of the spore-bed. But 
ice uredospores and teleutospores with cells containing more 
an two nuclei seem to be unknown, it is probable that these 
normal zecidiospores undergo no further development. 
THE NATURE OF THE SPERMATIA. 
There are two and only two possible interpretations of the 
srmatia—either they are male gametes, or they are conidia, 
. merely additional multiplicative spores like the uredo- 
ores. In favour of the former view the following arguments 
a be adduced : 
(1) The time of their appearance, just before the formation 
