232 Mas see. — A Monograph of the Geoglosseae. 
and that under certain conditions, where these two conditions 
are fulfilled, a purely vegetative structure is produced as the 
result of such conjugation ; consequently there is no evidence 
to prove that the conditions described by Dangeard as con- 
stituting a sexual act in the formation of the asci in the 
Ascomycetes are such in reality. 
In some of the largest hairs present on the species of 
Lachnea it is not unusual for three ‘gametes’ to fuse at the 
tips to form the ‘ oospore,’ and during the increase in size 
of the hair growth is often very unequal in the swollen basal 
portion, or ‘ oospore,’ which frequently results in the supports 
or ‘gametes’ being separated from each other, and carried, 
apparently for some distance, up the hair, which then presents 
the appearance of a stem with three root-branches starting 
at slightly different levels. Owing to local growth at the 
basal portion of the hair, even when only the usual two 
6 gametes ’ are present, these not unfrequently eventually stand 
at different levels, and as the hair increases in size and 
becomes thick-walled, the ‘ gametes ’ also become indurated 
and coloured. 
The most successful preparations for demonstrating the 
points of structure described above were obtained by first 
placing portions of the gills of <a very young Coprimes , or the 
entire young plants of Lachnea , for four hours in a saturated 
solution of corrosive sublimate, to which a trace of acetic acid 
is added. After quickly washing in tap-water, the material 
is placed in absolute alcohol, where it can remain for an 
indefinite time. Sections are first placed in a very slight 
aqueous solution of nigrosin containing 4 per cent, of acetic 
acid, and afterwards transferred to a stronger solution of 
nigrosin alone ; here they may remain for twenty-four hours, 
when they should be examined, and again replaced, if the 
nuclei are not sharply differentiated. The material would 
probably be best put up in balsam ; mine were spoiled as 
permanent preparations by mounting in equal proportions 
of glycerine and water, with a trace of carbolic acid. 
The above observations seem to suggest the idea that when 
