198 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
ment. In his study of Melanospora fimicola Hansen, Zukal found that 
the normal condition of a young peritheeium at a certain stage is indis¬ 
tinguishable from a bulbil. Sometimes this bulbil stage of the asco- 
carp is retained permanently. This occurrence, which is occasional 
in this species, becomes habitual in certain fungi, as in species of 
Peziza which Zukal investigated, where the primordium of the bulbils 
and their development correspond exactly to early conditions of the 
aseocarp, and frequently a large well nourished bulbil may change into 
an aseocarp by the gelatinization of the cortical cells and the forma¬ 
tion of a hymenium on the upper side. Mattirolo (’86) finds bulbils 
in connection with certain species of Hypocreaceae. 
Dr. Thaxter informs the writer that pezizoid apothecia are pro¬ 
duced in abundance in cultures of Helicosporangium coprophilum 
from Jamaica, both apothecia and bulbils arising from the same 
mycelium but quite independently. In this case the bulbils are not 
arrested primordia of apothecia but definite sclerotioid propagula. 
Of the bulbil species known, some are thus seen to be clearly ascomy- 
cetous, while the systematic affinities of others are matters of conjec¬ 
ture only. It seems clearly evident from the brief discussion above 
that the convenient term bulbil is applied to very diverse structures, 
referring sometimes to imperfectly developed ascocarps of Disco- 
mycetes or Pyrenomycetes, sometimes to bodies of a definite sclerotioid 
nature, and sometimes to other bodies whose morphology is less 
evident. The bulbil form and structure may be assumed by very 
dissimilar organs of widely separated fungi, e. g., compare the bulbils 
of Corticium alutaceum and of Helicosporangium parasiticum with the 
bulbil-like ascocarps of Erysiphe and Penicillium, and the spore balls 
of Urocystis and Tubercinia. 
The bulbils of basidiomycetous origin appear to be sclerotioid in 
their nature. No sharp line can be drawn between them and ordinary 
sclerotia, although the distinction is usually sufficiently clear to warrant 
the retention of both names. By sclerotia are usually understood 
large closely compacted masses of hyphae, irregular in size and shape, 
with a thick-walled, dark-colored exterior enclosing a central portion 
which contains reserve food material. They cannot strictly be classed 
as reproductive bodies, but are dormant vegetative structures which, 
on resumption of activity usually produce the characteristic fructifi¬ 
cation of the fungus. On the other hand, the bulbils under discussion 
are much smaller, are fairly uniform in size and shape, have no dis- 
