Speare : Entomogenous Fungi 



73 



the cell-wall apparently becomes in part absorbed by the proto- 

 plasmic contents of the cell, or at least becomes very much 

 thinner, and a germ tube is pushed out, in the manner illustrated 

 on Plate 4, Figs. 8 and 15, upon the tip of which a thin- walled 

 spore of the type described above is cut off. The sclerotia when 

 placed in a moist chamber produce fascicular hyphal outgrowths 

 as shown on Plate 4, Fig. 5, which produce sporophores, and upon 

 the latter thin-walled spores are ab jointed that in every respect 

 are similar to those described above. 



The characters of this fungus as outlined above are of such 

 a nature that in the opinion of the writer it cannot be associated 

 with any other known genus of the Hyphomycetes. It is obvi- 

 ously of the stilboid type but the sporophores are borne upon the 

 synnemata acropleurogenously and the spores are ab joined suc- 

 cessively becoming incorporated in globular mucous masses, 

 conditions that do not occur in association in any other form 

 known to the writer. 



In some respects it is not unlike members of the genus Stilbum, 

 some species of which, such as 5\ buquetii, S. kervillei, S. cocco- 

 philum, etc., have furthermore been considered as entomogenous, 

 but as the sporophores in the form under consideration are borne 

 pleurogenously as well as acrogenously, and are well differ- 

 entiated from the elements of the synnemata, it cannot be asso- 

 ciated with the other members of the genus Stilbum. On the 

 other hand it bears a certain resemblance to Hirsutella, Soro- 

 sporella, and in a- certain degree to Gibellula. The characters of 

 Hirsutella have been considered in the preceding pages and a 

 glance at Plate 3 will show at once the similarity and at the same 

 time the difference that exists between it and Synnematium. In 

 Sorosporella, as the writer and others have pointed out, resting 

 spore masses are produced, which although formed within the 

 body of the insect are nevertheless analogous to the sclerotia of 

 Synnematium, and furthermore a stilbaceous condition has been 

 observed in Scrosporella which is not at all unlike that which 

 occurs in the form under consideration. In general, it may be 

 said that the species of Hirsutella, Sorosporella, Gibellula, and 

 Synnematium resemble one another in that the stilbaceous fruit- 



