DEVELOPMENT OF PYRONEMA CONFLUENS VAR. INIGNEUM 293 
with its stalk are so far apart that even if the trichogyne grew straight 
towards the antheridium its length would not be anything like great 
enough to connect the two. The growth of the trichogyne appears, 
moreover, to be quite independent of that of the antheridium. Fre- 
quently the trichogyne grew straight out in an opposite direction from 
that in which the antheridium developed. At other times, a tricho- 
gyne made several coils around an antheridium, while in some cases 
two trichogynes were coiled around the same antheridium. In only 
a few cases did the trichogyne grow up- over the antheridium or direct 
its tip against the tip of the latter as described by Harper ('00). 
Owing to the extremely irregular behavior of the trichogyne, the few 
cases in which this did occur might as well be attributed to chance 
variation as to any attraction between antheridium and trichogyne. 
In no case was the fusion between trichogyne and antheridium ob- 
served. That the irregularity just described as well as the absence of 
fusion were not due to displacement in handling would seem to be 
shown by the opposite results obtained in the normal form. The 
evidence from sections is very convincing. According to Harper, 
after the trichogyne has fused with the antheridium the two remain 
permanently connected. In sections the ascogonia, trichogyne and 
antheridia of the variety inigneum retain their normal form long after 
the ascogenous hyphae have grown from the ascogonia. At this 
stage, the ascogonia, trichogyne and antheridia are all imbedded in a 
firm mass of vegetative hyphae, so that it would hardly seem possible 
that any displacement could occur without causing considerable 
tearing or other disturbances which would be plainly visible in the 
sections. These, however, showed no evidences of tearing or dis- 
placement except in rare cases in which young ascocarps were on the 
edges of the mass of material. 
After an ascogonium has attained its mature form, the nuclei 
in the trichogyne degenerate in the manner described by Harper ('00). 
In the process the nucleoli enlarge while the nucleus swells up and 
the rest of its contents become transparent. The nucleoli are usually 
apparent for a short time after the nuclei go to pieces, while the remains 
of the nuclei produce a meshlike appearance in the cytoplasm. The 
antheridia retain their normal appearance long after the ascogenous 
hyphae have grown out from the ascogonia and sometimes they appear 
unchanged even after the formation of the first asci. After a time, 
however, their nuclei degenerate in the manner described for those in 
