181 
another gonidial form of similar structure must necessarily be a condi¬ 
tion of some hypothetical species of the same genus. Such assumptions 
do not harmonize with the stated belief of those mycologists who con¬ 
sider that a complete life history is necessary to prove relationship or 
otherwise in suspected cases, a belief that has brought conviction to 
the mind of most disciples of the Friesian school, whose conceptions of 
affinity are based on characters derived from mature examples, which 
in many instances are of no genetic value. On the other hand, it is to 
be regretted that the modern school, having adopted the only known 
reliable test of affinity—life history—should endeavor to indicate af¬ 
finity from analogy to such an extent as is too frequently done. The 
close morphological agreement between the gonidial condition in the 
present genus and in Coryne further illustrates the same idea. 
Dacryopsis gyrocepiiala, Mass. (Figs. 4-7.) Gregarious or scat¬ 
tered : head hemispherical, plane below, with ridges arranged in a gyrose 
manner, dark purple, blackish purple when dry; stem equator slightly 
incrassate above, smooth, even, pale, tan-colored, 2-3.5 millimetres 
long, about 1.5 millimetre thick; gonidiophores covering every part of 
the head, simple, aseptate, straight, 40-50 by 1.5yu; gonidia terminal con¬ 
tinuous, colorless, elliptic-oblong, 2.5 by lyu; basidia projecting beyond 
the gonidiophores, aseptate, cylindrical, bifurcate near the apex, 60-65 
by6-7yu; spores continuous, colorless, elliptic-oblong, slightly curved, 
with an oblique apiculus at the base, 15-16 by 4-4.5/1; clavate para- 
physes numerous, shorter than the gonidiophores. 
Tremella ( Coryne ) gyrocephala , B. & 0., Grew, Vol. n, p. 20 (1873). 
Sacc. Syll., Yol. Yin, No. 2654. (Type in Herb. Berk., Kew.) Lower 
Carolina. Gregarious, on rotten wood. 
The stem attains its full size before the development of the head com¬ 
mences, the latter is at first small and even, but as it increases in size 
becomes gyrose as in many species of Tremella and Dacryomyces. 
In old specimens the gonidiophores have fallen away, leaving only 
the basidia and parapliyses. 
Dacryopsis Ellisina, M ass. (Figs. 19-21.) Gregarious,head broadly 
elliptical or elliptic-oblong, smooth, even, pale brown, 4-6 by 2-4 milli¬ 
metres, stem cylindrical, longitudinally wrinkled, 3-4 by 1.5-2 millime¬ 
tres, dark brown ; gonidiophores covering the entire head, straight, sep¬ 
tate, with 1-3 short branchlets near the apex, 40-50 by 2.5yu; gonidia 
continuous, colorless, elliptic-oblong, very slightly curved, 3 by lyu; 
basidia cylindrical, bifurcate at the apex, aseptate, 50-55 by 6yu; spores 
elliptic-oblong, with an oblique apiculus at the base, 14 by 5yu. 
Coryne Ellisii Berk., Grew, Yol. n, p. 33; Sacc. Syll., Yol. viii, No. 
2655. Potsdam, New York. (Ellis.) On decaying basswood log. (Type 
in Herb. Berk., Kew.) 
Dacryopsis unicolor. Mass. (Figs. 22-24.) Gregarious; entire 
fungus, blackish brown; head globose, small, smooth, even, 1.5-2 mil¬ 
limetres diameter; stem elongated, erect, slightly attenuated upwards, 
