594 
MR. H. M. WARD ON THE MORPHOLOGY AND THE 
developed mycelium ; the side walls of the separate compartments also become bulged 
out slightly, giving the mature spore the appearance of a long oval body, constricted 
at intervals (see Plate 42, fig. 39). Very commonly one or two oily-looking drops 
accumulate in the compartments of the ripe spore. 
Such is the typjical mode of development of the perithecium, asci and spores. I 
have found no modifications of importance from a morphological point of view; it 
should be recorded, however, that the number of spores in the ascus varies from two 
to eight. Sometimes in the same perithecium one finds asci in which one, two, or 
three spores develop at the expense of their presumably weaker neighbours (fig. 38), 
in other cases the number two appears constant, only one complete division occurs in 
the ascus (fig. 38), while in one case to be referred to later, the asci normally produce 
eight two-chambered spores (Plate 42, fig. 43). 
On germination, which may take place soon after their emission from the ripe 
perithecium, the spores seem to behave generally in the same manner; one or several 
simple protuberances emerge from any of the partitioned chambers (see Plate 42, 
fig. 40), and proceed to develop into a typical mycelium, often with a preliminary for¬ 
mation ot the rudimentary haustoria referred to in an earlier part of this paper. This 
mycelium grows rapidly in moist weather, forming branches, setce and fruit-bodies 
as before. In some seasons the leaves of various plants may be seen covered with 
hundreds of these young mycelia, which dry up when the atmosphere does, only 
to renew their growth with the rains. 
Before passing on to the consideration of the pathological influence of these fungi, 
and of their systematic position, I will record a few details concerning a form of 
Meliolci which varies somewhat from the typical cases hitherto considered; at any 
rate, it seems to differ more from the six or eight forms to which the above description 
refers, than they do among themselves. 
The species to be examined has only been found on the leaves of Pavetta indicci, 
and its mycelium forms more spreading and less defined patches on the leaves of that 
plant, than the easily recognisable sooty patches of the other Meliolas. The main 
features of its mycelium, &c., are shown in fig. 41, and differ chiefly in the 
delicate straggling hyphse, with a paler brown colour and no trace of haustoria. The 
branching is very irregular, and somewhat like that of the form figured at fig. 3, but 
the short, lateral branchlets are not always ovoid, but often have sinuous, almost 
angular outlines, reminding one of the similar structures in Asterina, except that the 
latter bear distinct haustoria. The setce are here quite simple, short, and not so 
hard and brittle as usual ; they are also produced in smaller numbers than in the more 
typical species. 
The greatest peculiarities, however, are offered by the fruit-bodies, or perithecia. 
Each of these arises as before by the successive dividing up of a short, lateral branchlet 
(Plate 44, fig. 42), with this difference, that the rapidly following septa permit no 
recognition of primitive cells destined to form the outer walls, ascogonium, &c., as before. 
