124 
M. J. Le Goc. 
forms have been found by Moller showing polyporoid tendencies. 
Moller says (15, p. 164) “ Das Hymenium kann ganz glatt, thelepho- 
reenartig sein, dann durch Falten gerunzelt, endlich sogar regel- 
massig netzig grubig polyporeen-artig.” 
Most of the material used has been collected from the vicinity 
of Byron’s Pool near Cambridge. It is found abundantly on Elder 
bushes, both living and dead, and also on dead branches and trunks 
of Elm trees in moist places. It has been suggested that the 
Hirneola growing on Elm is perhaps not identical with the Hirneola 
which grows on Elder. In the specimens I examined the hymenium 
is decidedly freer from folds, but as a matter of fact spores 
from Hirneola on Elder have germinated quite easily and grown 
quite happily on blocks of Elm wood. It is also usually stated that 
the fructifications reach a size varying from 4 cm. to 7 cm. in 
diameter. (14, p. 404), but it is often much larger and a specimen 
collected in this locality measured 2F6 cm. by 12 cm. 
The fructifications which are gelatinous under moist conditions 
shrivel to black horny masses in a dry atmosphere. In this form 
the fructifications remain alive at least twelve months, because 
after this interval they revive again when moistened and produce 
an abundant supply of spores—a phenomenon also exemplified by 
Stereum purpureum and some other fungi (4, p. 143; 5, p. 106). A 
fructification which has been soaked in water for some 10 minutes 
produces spores after an interval of some 10 hours, which can be 
made to fall on sterilized glass slides, where they form a thick white 
deposit. They can thus be transferred into tubes of sterilized 
water or directly picked up with a sterilized platinum needle and 
used for cultures. 
Germination of Spores on the Fructifications. 
If the fruit body is kept moist for two or three days and the 
spores allowed to accumulate on its surface, it is found that they 
germinate in situ. The mycelia reach a considerable length, and 
in course of time form protuberances projecting from the surface 
of the fructification. These projections prove to be webs of hyphae 
entangled together, and enclosing a large number of ungerminated 
spores, some of them in a good state of preservation. The hyphze 
themselves soon undergo a process of disintegration indicated by 
the glycogen breaking into small globules regularly arranged in a 
chaplet which simulates a chain of “ oidia.” Some of the ungerm¬ 
inated spores look healthy after a lapse of three months and are 
