Wager . — The Sexuality of the Fungi. 591 
to the retention of the second polar body in the egg and its 
union with the egg-nucleus. The second polar body would 
thus, in a certain sense, assume the role of the spermatozoon, 
and it might not without reason be said : Parthenogenesis 
is the result of fertilization by the second polar body 1 . 
This conclusion was confirmed by the observations of Brauer 
on the parthenogenetic eggs of Artemia , in which the second 
polar body is actually formed, but remains in the egg, and 
‘ here plays the part of a sperm-nucleus precisely as maintained 
by Boveri V 
Here, then, we have a clear case of rejuvenescence taking 
place by the fusion of two sister nuclei replacing definitely the 
sexual fusion and producing an egg capable of germination. 
Such cases as this are not only very instructive as throwing 
a light upon the phenomena of sexuality in the lower Fungi, 
but are very significant when we come to consider the fusion 
of nuclei which takes place in the reproductive organs of the 
higher Fungi. That this fusion is not merely a vegetative 
one, and therefore of little significance, is proved by the fact 
that not only does it occur generally in all the groups of the 
higher Fungi, but it takes place at a definite stage in the life- 
history of the individual, and at a period which immediately 
precedes the formation of spores. To this there is apparently 
no exception, and it is therefore evident that we have here 
a phenomenon of considerable importance in the life-history 
of the higher Fungi. 
Dangeard’s view that it is a definite ‘ sexuality which differs 
in nothing in its essential characters from that of other plants 
and animals 3 ’ is not, I think, justified by the facts, even if we 
compare it to the sexual act in the higher plants when reduced 
to its lowest terms, viz. the fusion of two 7iuclei simply. For 
we find that in some cases a multiple fusion takes place — 
three, four, and even eight nuclei fusing together to produce 
the single nucleus of the basidium or ascus. In this respect, 
therefore, it does not resemble the act of fertilization as we 
1 See Wilson, loc. cit., p. 202. 2 See Wilson, loc. cit., p. 205. 
3 Loc. cit., 1894-5, p. 167. 
