3i5 
Coprophilous Fungi . 
mucilage forms a uniform sheath enclosing the entire spore 
(Figs. 9, to), appearing under the microscope as a hyaline 
refractive peripheral belt or zone, varying in width in different 
species. In other species of Sordaria the spores first appear 
as eight hyaline vermiform bodies each nearly as long as the 
ascus (Fig. 8). At a later stage a swelling appears near the 
apex of each spore (Fig. 8) ; this swelling continues to increase 
in size and absorbs the protoplasm from the slender portion 
below, which is eventually cut off by a septum from the 
swollen portion or spore proper. Eventually the spore be- 
comes coloured, while the basal portion remains colourless 
and forms an appendage. Appendages formed in this manner 
have a cellulose wall, and in rare instances the septum cutting 
off the cavity of the spore from that of the appendage is not 
developed, when the wall of the latter becomes coloured like 
that of the spore, thus proving that the colouration of the 
epispore depends on the presence of living protoplasm in the 
cell. We have observed this phenomenon repeatedly in Sor- 
daria globosa , and it has also been noted by Hansen (15) in 
an undetermined species of Sordaria . 
In addition to the appendage described above, a second 
kind consisting of mucilage is also often present. Such an 
appendage may be attached to the apex or base, or to both 
ends of the spore (Fig. e 5), or even to the end of the primary 
appendage which is cut off from the young spore as described 
above (Fig. 16). These mucilaginous appendages usually 
disappear when the spore reaches maturity ; they become 
much swollen and eventually deliquesce in contact with water, 
and stain readily with methylene blue. In the two species of 
Xylaria growing on dung the spores are of very large size 
and surrounded by a broad zone of mucilage, whereas in the 
numerous other species of Xylaria growing on wood, &c., the 
spores are usually minute and always destitute of a mucila- 
ginous external layer. 
Zopf (48) considers that the mucilaginous appendages of 
the spores are formed from the protoplasm in the ascus not 
used up in the formation of the spores, and also suggests that 
