Some recent work on the cytology of fungus reproduction, II 
233 
disintegration is rare. The author assumes that the reduction division 
takes place on the germination of the zygote. 
A confirmation of Moreau’s work will be eagerly awaited. Modern 
investigation shows clearly that the gametangia are multinucleate. Division 
and degeneration of nuclei have been recorded in many cases. Larger 
bodies have also been often reported, but it hardly seems credible that 
what have been variously interpreted as mucorine crystals, large nuclei 
and coenocentra could be the same structures. 
Bucholtz (1912) published his investigations on the genus Endo- 
gone: This subterranean genus was previously little known and has been 
placed in various systematic positions. Brefeld put it in his Hemiasci. 
In E. lactiflua the author discovered a sexual process resembling 
that of the Phycomycetes. The hyphae are multinucleate but non-septate. 
The male and female progametes arise as sac-like outgrowths of the 
hyphae, the male being usually smaller than the female. The nuclei in 
the progametes undergo a simultaneous division such as has been often 
described in the Phycomycetes. There is no differentiation into periplasm 
and ooplasm in the female. At the end of the simultaneous division a 
nucleus appears in the centre of each gamete. It is not clear what the 
origin of these nuclei, but it is thought that they have wandered from 
the periphery. The peripheral nuclei now wander down into the sus- 
pensors; if any remain in the gametangia they degenerate. Septa cutting 
off the uninucleate gametangia or gametes from their suspensors are 
formed practically simultaneously. Almost at the same time copulation 
begins between the two gametangia. No receptive papilla nor fertilizing 
tube is formed. Meanwhile the two nuclei have grown considerably. 
There is an increase of chromatin and an excentric nucleolus is visible in 
each nucleus. The male nucleus passes over into the female gametangium 
but the nuclei do not fuse. At the summit of this organ a portion of 
the wall is gelatinised and a papillate outgrowth appears which gradually 
enlarges. As a rule the whole of the contents of the gametangium pass 
into this outgrowth which is the zygote or zygospore. It enlarges further, 
rounds itself off and thickens its membrane. The nuclei were not 
observed to fuse, but it is thought that fusion occurs at germination. 
(In an unnamed variety of E. lactiflua , the nuclei appear to fuse during 
the ripening of the zygote.) 
The only other species in which sexual reproduction was found was 
E. Ludwigii. In the youngest stages obtained the zygote was already 
formed. In the zygote were seen either two nuclei, or one larger nucleus 
which presumably was formed by their fusion. In E. macrocar pa and 
E. microcarpa only asexually formed chlamydospores were present in the 
fruit bodies. These contain a large number of nuclei. No fusion of 
nuclei was seen. The author holds that because of its resemblance to a 
zygote, the chlamydospore might be considered as an azygote. 
In E. pisiformis the ends of the hyphae swell and become multi¬ 
nucleate sporangia. The nuclei apparently undergo division. The process 
of spore formation resembles that observed in many Mucorineae. 
In E. lignicola and E. fulva the method of reproduction was not 
made out. The author proposes forming a sub-group (Endogoneae) in 
the Phycomycetes for the reception of this genus. He points out the 
close resemblance between the sexual process in this genus and that in the 
