NATURE OF THE SPERMATIA 
cumstances, would show quick and luxuriant growth ; they 
inot be degenerate conidia, because the nucleus is large and 
ll-formed though at times no nucleolus can be seen. 
(5) They are sometimes accompanied by a sweet flurd, 
ich gives off a pleasant, or more rarely an unpleasant, smell, 
in P. suaveolens (obtegens), Uromyces Pisi, Cronartium Quer-| 
sete. It is said that, in Japan, children lick the abundant 
2rmogones of C. Quercus on account of the sweet juice that 
zes from them. The presence of this can be readily under- 
vod, if the aid of insects is invoked as well as wind, in order 
carry the passive spermatia to the trichogyne projecting 
rough a stoma, but otherwise is without explanation. The 
‘va of a fly (Diplosis) or a similar organism, is to be found 
iwling about the leaf and feeding on the spermatia and ecidio- 
ores of many Uredinales; its body is quite orange in colour 
rough being filled with them, and the spermatia would adhere 
its outer surface. Though the spermogones of P. Caricis are 
ually on the opposite leaf-surface to the ecidia, yet in very 
my species they occur intermixed, and not infrequently 
e ecidia grow habitually in circles round little groups of 
ermogones ; a remarkable instance is seen in Phragmidium 
sbi-idaei (= P. gracile); see Fig, 225. 
(6) The most likely theory of the evolution of the Uredinales 
that which places the majority of the micro- (including the 
to-) forms as the most recent. 
It is just in these, and in no others, that the spermogones 
2 least often to be met with (see p. 39), as would be expected 
they are furthest in descent from the primitive forms in 
iich a true act of fertilisation occurred. 
(7) If, on the other hand, we look upon the spermatia as 
nidial forms, 7.e. as merely an additional means of vegetative 
iltiplication, we are confronted by this difficulty (as well as 
ose referred to above) that they appear just at that period of 
velopment at which they are least wanted, whilst they are 
ssing in many micro-forms where additional help would be 
ost welcome. The xcidiospores have been shown in many 
wys to possess an unusual amount of vigour and to be able to 
oduce a stronger infection than the uredospores, which stand 
