20 
Kingo Miyabe. — On the Life-history of 
uncertainty of their appearance, and the lack of definite 
observations in both cases on the direct organic connection 
between the ascospores sown and the pycnidia obtained, and 
also the constant failure in the attempt to reproduce the 
perithecia and Sarcinula- spore by sowing the pycnospores, 
lead one naturally to suspect that perhaps some foreign 
pycnospores may have been introduced into their cultures. 
Moreover, according to Kohl \ the pycnospores enveloped 
in gelatinous substance, after oozing out in a vermiform 
mass, fasten more or less readily to a substratum, and send 
out into the air short slender hyphae, which terminate with 
small secondary spores (Luftsporen). They are very readily 
blown away by wind, or even by a slight breeze. They ger- 
minate on a wet substratum with great readiness. 
The evidences of our investigations thus far lead us to the 
conclusions, that the presence of the pycnidia in Pleospora 
herbarum is very doubtful, and that they may have disap- 
peared altogether from its cycle of development. 
During the course of the present experiment an Alternaria- 
form repeatedly appeared on the label-papers pasted on the 
slides with Van Tieghem cells, which were kept moist under 
a bell-glass. It was often accompanied by Penicillium and 
Hormodendron . The same kind of Alternaria made its ap- 
pearance about a year ago in the same laboratory on the 
decaying juniper- twigs kept for another purpose under a bell- 
glass. Its size, form, and habit correspond exactly with those 
of Alternaria tenuis , Nees, a form generally associated with 
Pleospora herbarum. 
This Alternaria-s pore was sown in different nutrient fluids. 
In flask-cultures it produced a mycelium, which grew with 
great rapidity, forming a thick and close mycelium. On its 
upper surface a very large number of aerial hyphae were pro- 
duced, which were white at first, but gradually turned from 
green to grey, as the spores were formed and matured on 
them. The whole surface was literally packed with the rank 
1 Kohl, 1. c. p. 30. 
