THE REPRODUCTION OF ASCOMYCETES. 
137 
the pure water, show no development at all. For the rest, they 
present a change similar to that which has been described and 
figured by M. Tulasne with the endothecous spores. 
Another Ascomycete, which is encountered very abundantly upon 
the fallen branches of the plane tree, presenting abundant sper- 
mogones, but they are always unprovided with ascophorous con- 
ceptacles. One also encounters, although more rarely, the clus- 
tered brown spores of the Hendersonia mutabilis, Berk, et Br. 
{Pietospora Desmazieri, Mont.), which are only the stylospores 
of the Massaria Platani. These spermogonia are grouped 
under the bark, in the same manner as the ascophorous con- 
ceptacles and pycnidia of the Massaria Platani. It is this species 
to which I say they belong. M. Tulasne has not signalised any 
spermagones in this species. 
Tlie spermatia grow upon some clustered elongated filaments ; 
each one of them is borne by a very short and almost invisible 
sterigmate ; the cell which produces a spermatium is elongated 
laterally at the exterior of the immediately superior cell, and 
forms a debut of ramification. This prolongation is swelled out a 
little, then separated by a partition. 
The spermatia are oval, of a longitudinal diameter equal to 
2 y 5 - = '0035. Their size and their origin leaves no doubt 
that these may be very truly some spermatia. One can conceive 
the difficulty of determining the species when they are received in a 
favourable state, and not in a too advanced state, that is to say 
when the other reproductive organs (pycnidia and, above all, con- 
ceptacles), which alone give an exact determination, are not yet 
capable of being developed. 
Along with the multilocular spores of the Hendersonia are 
encountered sometimes those of the Diplodia paupercula, which 
are bilocular, but they are to be observed much more rarely. 
Sown upon the nourishing liquid, these spores, in about five or 
six days, increase in every sense, and remain pretty nearly like, 
except in size, those wliich they were originally ; the body of the 
spore, more or less visible in the midst of the filament, presents 
one or two prolongations already visibly increased in size. After 
ten or twelve days the point which corresponds to the spore is 
partitioned in such a manner as to form some cells of equal length 
and breadth, and they swell out, as it were, like little barrels, 
whilst those of the extremity, longer than broad, more narrow^ 
than the preceding, remain almost cylindrical. The internal 
plasma takes a perfectly novel appearance ; in the middle of the 
granulous parts are exhibited some extremely peculiar oleaginous 
gouts, and of w'hich hitherto there have been no traces. These 
oleaginous gouts are to be encountered in a certain number of 
species of Ascomycetes; here they show that the primitive spore 
is really and positively nourished at the expense of the liquid 
which surrounds it. At the same time, as the filaments are elon- 
