52 FUNGI. 
surface branches of different number and size, each of which 
forms a sporangium at its point. The sporangia which are: 
formed later are often very similar, but sometimes very different, 
to those which first appeared, because their partition is very 
thick and does not fall to pieces when it is ripe, but irregu- 
larly breaks off, or remains entire, enclosing the spores, and at 
last falls to the ground, when the fungus withers. The cross 
partition which separates the sporangia from its bearers is in 
those which are first formed (which are always relatively thicker 
sporangia) very strongly convex, while those which follow later 
are often smaller, and in little weak specimens much less arched, 
and sometimes quite straight. After a few days, similar filaments 
generally show themselves on the dung between the sporangia- 
bearers, which appear to the naked eye to be provided with deli- 
cate white frills. Where such an one is to be found, two to four 
rectangular expanding little branches spring up to the same 
height round the filament. Fach of these, after a short and 
simple process, branch out into a fureated form; the furcations 
being made in such a manner that the ends of the branch at last 
so stand together that their surface forms a ball. Finally, each 
of the ends of a branch swells to a little round sporangium, 
which is limited by a partition (called sporangiolum, to distin- 
guish it from the larger ones), in which some, generally four, 
spores are formed in the manner already known. When the 
sporangiola are alone, they have such a peculiar appearance, with 
their richly-branched bearers, that they can be taken for some- 
thing quite different to the organs of the Mucor mucedo, and 
were formerly not considered to belong to it. That they really 
belong to the Mucor is shown by the principal filament which it 
bears, not always, but very often, ending with a large sporan- 
gium, which is characteristic of the Mucor mucedo ; it is still 
more evident if we sow the spores of the sporangiolum, for, as 
it germinates, a mycelium is developed, which, near a simple 
bearer, can form large sporangia, and those form sporangiola, 
the first always considerably preponderating in number, and 
very often exclusively. If we examine a large number of speci- 
mens, we find every possible middle form between the simple 
