184 
seeds. Gymnoascus is one of the less highly organised 
Ascomycetes, the peridium is composed of loose much-branched 
yellowish hyphz, which surround the fertile filaments. When 
mature, the walls of the small globose asci disappear, but the 
minute spores retain for a time the form of the ascus. The 
fungus was attached loosely to the spines of the carrot seed, 
and seemed to have little organic connection with it; in this 
resembling the Chetomiums, which often grow on the awns of 
the grasses. Many of the smaller fungi grow with very little 
nutrition; those | have been watching often spread from the 
seeds to the germinating saucer, and grow vigorously on the 
porcelain, apparently on nothing, though doubtless some seed nad 
lain on the spot and left some of its substance behind. 
The Hyphomycetes bulk very largely in this flora of seed- 
fungi. The two ubiquitous species Aspergil/us glaucus Link, 
and Penicillium glaucum Link, appear continually.  Cephadlo- 
sporium Acremonium Corda, Sporotrichum laxum Nees, and 
Acremonium alternatum Link, are not infrequent. — These all 
grow on decaying vegetation, and are very common moulds. 
Trichoderma viride Pers., the conidial form of H ypocrea rufa, 
I have found several times, and have cultivated it on a gelatine 
slide; there was a beautiful growth in three days of upright 
branching colourless conidiophores bearing the groups of bright 
green spores at the tips of the branches. A form of Sepedonium, 
plate IX. fig. 1, entirely colourless, formed a white tuft on a grass 
seed. The spores, which are borne at the tips of delicate hyphe, 
are globose and rather large, measuring about 18-20u in dia- 
meter. They have a thick epispore, and are warted when 
mature. It agrees with the characters given of the species S. 
xylogenum Sacc., which has been found in Italy growing on 
wood. | have also to record in the Mucedinew a specimen of 
Botrytis vera Fr., distinguished from other members of the genus 
by the lax branching of the sporophores. It grew on turnip seed. 
Among the Dematiex, Macrosporium commune Rabenh., the 
conidial form of Pleospora herbarum, occurs most frequently. 
Helminthosporium gramineum Rabenh. I have detected once on 
a grass seed. It is a parasite of cereals, destroying the leaves 
and so weakening the plant and injuring the grain. Some 
barley affected by it was sent into the laboratory during the 
summer of 1900. I have one record of Stachybotrys alternans 
Bonord. It is a fairly common mould, and grows by preference 
on damp blotting paper. Stysanus stemonites Corda, one of 
the Stilbee, by no means a rare fungus, has occurred several 
times on grass seeds. _ 
Fusarium roseum Link, which formed its delicate rose-tinted 
cushions on clover seed, is a member of the Tuberculariee. In 
