Speare: Entomogenous Fungi 



63 



" Mycelium emergent du corps de l'insecte sous forme de filaments greles 

 (2-3 microns) entrelaces en un tomentum gris-cendre. Qavules nombreuses, 

 petites (3-5 mm., de haut), greles, rigides, simples, cylindracees, aigues et 

 sterile au sommet, d'un gris-violace, blanchatres a l'extremite. Basides sessiles 

 ou subsessiles ovoides (8-10 X 5-6 microns) ; sterigmate unique, subule, tres 

 allonge, un peu renfle a sa partie inferieure et mesurant 30-45 microns de 

 longueur. Spores hyalines, citriformes, 8 by 6 microns, apiculees aux deux 

 extremites." • 



In comparing Hirsutella with other members of the lower 

 Clavariaceae, Patouillard observed certain characters of the 

 former such as, for example, the extraordinary length of the 

 sterigmata, the lack of a definite continuous hymenium, the 

 coriaceous consistency of the " clavules," and the complete ab- 

 sence of a subhymenium, that were not shared by any genera of 

 the true Clavariaceae, and suggested because of such differences 

 that a new genus {Hirsutella) be formed to receive his anomalous 

 species. In reality the characters noted above are of such a 

 nature that it is difficult to understand why the fungus should 

 have been considered as a Basidiomycete at all. In dealing with 

 the species as a member of this family, however, Patouillard 

 looked upon the inflated base of the sporophore as the basidium, 

 and considered the attenuated distal portion of the same organ as 

 the sterigma, noting that only one of the latter was borne on each 

 basidium. The true nature of the " basidiospores " was appar- 

 ently not observed for they were described as " citrif orme " in 

 shape, whereas, careful microscopic studies of stained and un- 

 stained spores by the writer have shown that they are in reality 

 fusiform in outline, although mucus is deposited about the spores 

 in such a way as to render them uniformly lemon-shaped. 



In addition to the paper mentioned above, there are in litera- 

 ture several references to fungi of this type which should be 

 mentioned in this connection. Ditmar (1817) described as 

 Isaria sphaecophila a fungus occurring on a hornet which*shows 

 a certain resemblance to forms herein considered. The illustra- 

 tions furthermore suggest such a relationship. The spores were 

 said to be globose and hyaline and were entangled among short, 

 rigid hairs which arose at right angles to the synnemata. 



Cooke (1892) described as Isaria saussurei pro. tern, another 

 hornet parasite. The fungus was originally figured only by 



