xiii, c, 4 Brown: Fungi Cultivated by Termites 227 
apical part of the fruit bodies. The spores were oval and about 
3 by 2 [ 1 . Petch reports simple conidia with spores from 4 
to 6 by 2 /x from Xylaria nigripes. 
The development and general appearance of the sterile 
Xylaria- like structures is very similar to Petch’s description. 
The forms grown by him under bell jars showed a much greater 
tendency to branch than did the form under discussion ; and 
were in general smaller, the longest mentioned by him having 
a length of only 14 cm. Petch, however, describes other forms 
which grew out of a deserted nest from combs 40 to 50 cm 
below the surface. These must have had a length comparable 
to that of those grown in Manila. The larger of the Manila 
types is, moreover, paralleled to some extent by sclerotia which 
he found in the same nest. These are described as black, ir- 
regular or fig-shaped, up to 8 cm in length and 3 cm in breadth. 
The lower left-hand figure in Plate IV, fig. 3 agrees very well 
with this description. 
Petch 10 in writing of the Xylarias on termite combs says : 
To simplify matters, we may for the present adopt von Hohnel’s view, 
that there are two species of Xylaria present. 
Petch, however, apparently thinks that there is only one 
species as in discussing the number of species or termite combs, 
he says: 
Apparently there are two, bat t ere are several facts which make it 
probable that these are forms of one species. 
If there is only one species present, this is Xylaria nigripes 
Klotzsch. The ascigerous forms of Xylaria nigripes occurs at 
Los Banos on deserted termite nests, so that, although no con- 
nection has been traced between the Xylaria grown on termite 
cones and the ascigerous form of Xylaria nigripes, it is probable 
that this species is represented among the sterile forms. 
Xylaria furcata is a dichotomously branched species. The only 
dichotomously branched specimen in my cultures was an abor- 
tive one grown at Los Banos. This never turned black and 
did not develop further than the loose feathery stage. On the 
other hand, the catenulate spores, mentioned above, are similar 
to those ascribed to Xylaria furcata. The absence of branched 
specimens and the presence of these spores would seem to be 
another point of evidence indicating that Xylaria furcata is 
simply a form of Xylaria nigripes. 
10 Petch, T., op. cit. 
