GERMINATION AND GROWTH. 159 
Another method of reproduction, not uncommon in Jlucorini, 
is described by Van Tieghem in this species. Conjugating 
threads on the substratum by degrees claborate zygospores, but 
these, contrary to the mode in other species, are surrounded by 
curious branched processes which emanate from the arcuate cells 
on either side of the newly-developed zygospore. This system 
of reproduction is again noticed more in detail in the chapter 
on polymorphism. 
M. de Seynes has given the details of his examination of the 
sporidia of Aorchella esculenta during germination.* A number 
of these sporidia, placed in water in the morning, presented, at 
nine o’clock of the same evening, a sprout from one of the 
extremities, measuring half the length of the spore. In the 
morning of the next day this sprout had augmented, and 
become a filament three or four times as long. The next day 
these elongated filaments exhibited some transverse divisions 
and some ramifications. On the third day, the germination 
being more advanced, many more of the sporidia were as com- 
pletely changed, and presented, in consequence of the elongation, 
the appearance of a cylindrical ruffle, the cellular prolongations 
arising from the germination having a tendency towards one of 
the extremities of the longer axis of the sporidium, and more 
often to the two opposed extremities, either simultaneously or 
successively. Out of many hundreds of sporidia examined 
during germination, he had only seen a very few exceptions to 
this mile, among which he had encountered the centrifugal 
tendency to vegetate by two opposed filaments, proving that if 
it bears a second by the side of the primal filament situated at 
one of the poles, a second would also be seen from the side of 
the filament coming from the opposite pole. 
Before being submitted to the action of water, the contents 
of the sporidia seemed formed of two distinct parts, one big 
drop of yellow oil of the same form as the sporidium, with 
the space between it and the cell wall occupied by a clear liquid, 
more fluid and less refractive, nearly colourless, or at times 
slightly roseate. As the membrane absorbed the water by 
* Seynes, ‘‘ Essai d’une Flore Mycologique.” 
