19 



may vary greatly in size and shape (Fig. 2). These masses are at 

 first greenish but later almost invariably become black. 



The individual spores are elliptical to ovate in shape 

 and may or may not be pointed at the ends (Fig. 3), In size they 

 vary from 5.4 by 2.7 microns to 9 by 3 microns. They are dark in 

 color. Germination is rapid; spores in a hanging drop of distilled 

 water shovjed a germination of about 50 ^ in 9 hours (Fig. 4). In 

 a hanging drop of cornmeal agar there was considerable growth in 

 12 hours (Fig. 5). 



Cul ture s 



On cornmeal agar this fungus produced a very character- 

 istic colony (See photo). As the colony was developing there was 

 an abundance of white, flucculent, aerial mycelium. This more or 

 less disappeared when the spores began to form. The spore masses 

 were generally produced in concentric rings which were distinct. 

 These rings were white when first produced but they darken, some- 

 times becoming grsen, ana then black. There seemed to be some 

 variation in color even when grown on the same medium and under 

 the same conditions. The spore clusters were very irregular in 

 size and shape (Fig. 2) depending upon the number held together in 

 the gelatinous substance. The older the colony the larger the 

 clusters were. A tube four months old showed a cluster 1 cm. long 

 and 2 cm. wide. 



No difference could be noticed in the size or shape of 

 the spores or the mycelium on the different media used, but the 

 number of spores produced, the size of the spore clusters, and 

 the abundance of the mycelium var ied .( Table I). When double the 



