A 
1899] Smith, — Agaricus of the Champlain Valley 163 
pileus and bears thin reddish-brown scales. The annulus of A. dim- 
inutivus is thin and persistent, that of 4. comtulus is torn and often 
falls off. 
AGARICUS PLACOMYCES Pk.  Pileus fleshy but rather thin, at first 
convex or campanulate, then expanded and quite plane, squamulose, 
whitish, the disk and minute scales brown ; lamellae close, free, white, 
then pinkish, finally blackish-brown ; stem smooth, stuffed with a small 
pith, slightly tapering upward, bulbous, whitish, the bulb stained with 
yellow and usually giving rise to one or two mycelioid white root-like 
processes ; annulus large, flabby ; spores elliptical, 5-6 x 4-4.5 p. Plant 
7.5-12.5 cm. high, pileus 5-10 cm. broad, stem 4-8 mm. thick. 
Agaricus placomyces is readily recognized by the numerous brown 
scales with which the pileus is thickly covered. These are more 
abundant near the center, forming there a dark brown spot. The 
pileus, as contrasted with these scales, is of a whitish color, passing 
sometimes into shades of mouse and ash color. It is quite thin-fleshed, 
and when young, is bell-shaped as is also the large, thin, flabby annulus ; 
but both become flatter with age. The lamellae are white, passing 
through the various shades of pink with advancing age, and at 
length reaching their normal color, brown. The stem is hollow or 
stuffed and rather long and tapering, bearing near its top the annulus. 
The plant grows in thin coniferous woods. My collection was made in 
September from a cedar grove of quite large trees. Many plants were 
found the first time, but afterwards few new ones grew. There was 
apparently but one crop. | 
AGARICUS SILVATICUS is very rare. The only specimens I have 
seen were collected by Dr. Burt. The pileus is thin, gibbous or um- 
bonate and somewhat variable in color, being whitish, brownish or 
smoky gray. It is covered by feebly persisting, innate, reddish-brown 
squamules ; but at length it may become free from scales. The even 
stem is lighter in color than the pileus, and bears the thin membra- 
naceous and sometimes fugacious annulus at about two-thirds the dis- 
tance from the slightly enlarged base. The stem is stuffed, at least, in 
young plants, but finally becomes hollow. The lamellae are at first 
cinnamon-color but become fuscous-purplish. The plant is usually 
found in woods. 
AGARICUS SILVICOLA bears some resemblance to A. arvensis, for in 
our American plant there seems to be a somewhat double or lacerated 
annulus. It differs from A. arvensis, however, by growing in woods, 
and in having a flattened turnip-like bulb. It is larger than 4. 
