78 



Mycologia 



The method of formation of the conidia and the manner in 

 which they are cut off seems quite like the analogous processes 

 in other species and need not be discussed here. 



When viable conidia were placed upon a slide in a moist cham- 

 ber, or when they were sewn upon a nutrient agar, germination 

 usually took place in a manner such as is illustrated on Plate 6, 

 Figs. 2-3, namely, by one or more rather stout, long, germ tubes. 

 Occasionally, however, a single rather stout germ tube arose, the 

 terminal portion of which became swollen, Plate 6, Fig D, as 

 though to form a secondary conidium, but at this point develop- 

 ment invariably ceased. 



In connection with the germination tests, attempts were made 

 to grow the fungus artificially. The media used were potato 

 agar, Molische's agar, oat agar, and nutrient beef broth. In 

 addition to these nutrients, the genitalia and other organs, upon 

 which the fungus normally grows in nature, were removed asep- 

 tically from live, healthy cicadas and employed without steriliza- 

 tion, for the same purpose. No growth of the fungus was ob- 

 tained, however, upon either the unsterilized tissues from freshly 

 killed insects, or upon the other nutrients noted above. 



The conidia when placed in a suitable situation germinate with 

 great rapidity, a growth such as that illustrated on Plate 6, Fig. 

 B-C, taking place within three hours, but after such a short, rapid, 

 preliminary growth development ceased in every instance in the 

 writer's tests. 



. Resting. Spore Development 



Up to the present time resting spores have not been definitely 

 associated with the organism in question, although Peck (1879) 

 vaguely described bodies, which Thaxter (1888) subsequently 

 tentatively regarded as resting spores. In the light of these in- 

 vestigations furthermore, it likewise appears that many of the 

 early notes about the fungus contain references to the resting 

 spore condition, although the descriptions were of such a nature 

 that they might have applied equally well to the conidial growth. 



As noted above the resting spore condition, which was never 

 found associated with the conidial condition, was very prevalent 



