DE. COLLINGWOOD ON A LUMINOUS TUNGUS. 4G9 



Extract from a Letter from Cuthbert CoLLiNGWOOD,M.B.,r.L.S., 



on a Luminous Fungus from Borneo. 



■ [Eead March 7, 1867.] 



The fungus grows in small clusters upon roots of trees. It is of 

 a light cream-colour, and possesses a strong fungoid, or, rather, 

 Agaric odour. It was abundant in a small copse, and had appa- 

 rently newly sprung up ; for on searching the spot the next day I 

 could only find brown and shrivelled specimens; and two nights 

 after, in the same place, I searched in vain for a good specimen, 

 although much rain had fallen in the mean time. The specimens I 

 gathered while in a state of luminosity had, the next morning, 

 thrown out abundance of whitish spores. 



.With regard to the remarkable characteristic of luminosity, the 

 night being dark the fungi could be very distinctly seen, though 

 not at any great distance, shining with a soft pale-greenish light. 

 Here and tliere spots of much more intense light were visible ; and 

 these proved to be very young and minute specimens. The older 

 specimens may more properly be described as possessing a green- 

 ish luminous yZo^*, like the glow of the electric discharge — which, 

 however, has quite sufficient to define its shape and, when closely 

 examined, the chief details of its form and appearance. The 

 luminosity did not impart itself to the hand, and did not appear 

 to be affected by the separation from the root on which it grew, at 

 least not for some hours. 



I think it probable that the mycelium of this fungus is also 

 luminous ; for upon turning up the ground in search of small 

 luminous worms, minute spots of light were observed, which could 

 not be referred to any particular object or body when brought to 

 the light and examined, and were probably due to some minute 



portions of its mycelium. 



Mr. Hugh Low has assured me that he saw the jungle all in a 

 blaze of light (by which he could see to read) as, some years ago, 

 he was riding across the island by the jungle-road, and that this 

 luminosity was produced by an Agaric *. 



[The fungu.s mentioned in the above letter appeared to be identical with 

 Agaricus Gardneri, Eerk., a Brazilian species. Luminosity in fungi has been 

 observed in various parts of the world (see Berkeley's * Tntrodiiction to Crypto- 

 gamie Botany/ p. 265). -Sec. L. S.] 



