the plastic contents of
the spore. The corpuscles, when placed in the most favourable
conditions, have never given the least sign of vegetation; they have
also remained for a long time in water without experiencing any
appreciable alteration.

All the individuals of _Dacrymyces deliquescens_ do not produce these
corpuscles in the same abundance; those which bear the most are
recognizable by the pale tint of the reproductive dust with which they
are covered; in others, where this dust preserves its golden
appearance, only a few corpuscles are found. The spores which produce
corpuscles do not appear at all apt to germinate. On the other hand,
multitudes of spores will germinate which had not produced any
corpuscles. Tulasne remarks on this, that these observations would
authorize us to think that all spores, though perfectly identical to
our eyes, have not, without distinction, the same fate, nor doubtless
the same nature; and, in the second place, that these two kinds of
bodies, if they are not always isolated, yet are most frequently met
with on distinct individuals. This author claims for the corpuscles in
question that they are spermatia, and thinks that their origin is only
so far unusual in that they proceed from veritable spores.

The whole of the _Gasteromycetes_ have as yet to be challenged as to
the mode and conditions of germination and development. It is probable
that these will not materially differ from those which prevail in
_Hymenomycetes_.

The germination in _AEcidium_ has been followed out by Tulasne,[F]
either by placing the pseudospores in a drop of water, or confining
them in a moist atmosphere, or by placing the leaves on which the
_AEcidium_ flourishes upon water. The pseudospores plunged in water
germinated more readily than the others. If the conditions were
favourable, germination would take place in a few hours. _AEcidium
Ranunculacearum_, D. C., on leaves of figwort, gives rarely more than
one germinating filament, which soon attains three times the length of
the diameter of the pseudospore. This filament generally remains
simple, sometimes torulose, and distorted in a long spire. Sometimes
it has been seen divided into two branches, nearly equal to each
other. The spore in germinating empties itself of its plastic
contents, contracts, and diminishes in size. The pseudospores of
_AEcidium crassum_, P., emit three long filaments, which describe
spirals, imitating the twistings of the stem