590 Dale. — Observations on Gymnoascaceae. 
tion and figures drawn by Eidam of the early stages in Asper- 
gillus ( Sterigmatocytis ) nidulans \ The fate of the two hyphae 
was not determined with certainty, but asci were ultimately 
formed from the coil. 
Another species of Aspergillus, e. g. A.herbariorum (Wiggers), 
of which figures are reproduced by Engler and Prantl 1 2 , does 
not resemble the Gymnoascaceae nearly so closely as A . nidulans. 
In view of recent work on the sexuality of the lower Asco- 
mycetes it would seem worth while reinvestigating, by means 
of modern histological methods, the life-histories of Aspergillus 
and Penicillium. 
The obvious resemblances between the early stages of the 
coil of Penicillium and that of Gymnoascus Reessii have been 
noticed by previous investigators, and have led to the families 
of the Aspergillaceae and the Gymnoascaceae being included, 
with others, amongst which may be mentioned the Onygena- 
ceae, in the group of the Plectascineae 3 . 
Previous to their discovery of Eidamella, Matruchot and 
Dassonville had drawn attention to the possibility of a relation- 
ship between the Gymnoascaceae and certain dermatophytes 4 , 
especially Trichophyton 5 , on account of the similarity in the 
asexual reproduction. The life-history of Eidamella confirmed 
their view, which now seems also to be strengthened by the 
likeness between Gymnoascus Candidas and Eidamella. These 
authors place the Gymnoascaceae between the Endomyceta- 
ceae, on the one hand, and the Onygenaceae on the other, and 
give the following classification 5 : — 
1. Endomycetees. Endomyces. 
2. Gymnoascees. Gymnoascus , Ctenomyces, Trichophyton, 
A chorion (?), Microsporum (?), &c. 
3 . Onygenees. Onygena. 
1 loc. cit. (3), p. 406 et seq., PL XXI, Figs. 8-14. 
3 loc. cit., p. 301, Fig. 214. 
3 Engler und Prantl, loc. cit., p. 293. 
4 loc. cit. (1), p. 240. (3) Sur le Ctenomyces serratus, Eidam, compare aux 
champignons des Teignes. Bull. Soc. Myc. de France, tom. xv, p. 305 (1899). 
(4) Sur une forme de reproduction d’ordre eleve chez les Trichophyton. Bull. 
Soc. Myc. de France, tom. xvi, p. 201 (1900). 5 (1) p. 251. 
