18 BULLETIN 1053, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
decays and insect burrows (cf. Spaulding, 56; 57, p. 115), but little 
is known as to how great an extent insects are responsible for carry- 
ing the spores of these fungi and starting infections. Hubbard {25. 
p. 251) reports that several bark insects have been found within the 
veil of Cryptoporus volvatws and suggests that such insects may 
carry the spores from fruit bodies into direct contact with the inner 
layers of bark of uninfected trees. One beetle {Epuraea monogama 
Crotch) he found (p. 253) always coated with a thick layer of the 
spores. Zeller {63. p. 121) has made similar observations in connec- 
tion with the same fungus. The common occurrence of fungus gnats, 
mites, springtails, and slugs upon hymenia has been noted by several 
(BullerS, pp. 19,20,23, 96). 
The fruit bodies of Trametes serialis mentioned above appeared at 
a time following a thaw when a considerable quantity of water seeped 
into the fungus pit from the earth below, making a damp chamber of 
the whole pit. The dampness caused an abundance of spores to be 
cast. The beams bearing the sporophores were so situated that they 
were about 1 centimeter above a piece of plank. It was so moist in 
this space that water had collected on the plank under the sporophore 
and this water was full of basidiospores. "With the advent of moist 
conditions within the pit also came sow bugs. They infested the 
woody material and were particularly abundant on and around the 
fruit bodies, even wallowing in the water full of basidiospores. A 
number of these animals, with small spiders and springtails asso- 
ciated with them, were collected and examined for spores and. of 
course, were found to bear great quantities of them. All animals 
collected on that particular beam had spores in varying quantities 
on their legs, antennae, and setae, and many of them, particularly the 
sow bugs, had a large number of spores upon their backs where they 
had fallen directly from the sporophore. A photomicrograph (PI. 
VI, fig. 2) shows the immense number of spores on the appendages of 
sow bugs taken from the water beneath the fruit bodies. Sow bugs 
caught covered with spores as just described were transferred to 
flasks of sterilized wood blocks and incubated. The blocks became 
somewhat contaminated with Penicillium. as might be expected, 
although not heavily, but a hymenomycetous growth was noted in the 
flasks as well. After several months the blocks were removed and 
found to be decayed, showing that the dissemination of wood- 
destroying fungi by means of arthropodous animals is possible. 
The point to be made in connection with the relation of sow bugs 
to the possible dissemination of basidiospores within buildings is 
that the fruiting of these fungi and the presence of the sow bugs 
are often tied up with moisture conditions. Certain fungi will fruit 
in moist places, especially near the earth and in small inclosed places 
