310 Dr. PuttENEY’s Hjfory and Defcription 
: Before I had examined thefe appearances more minutely, and 
with glafíes, I had indeed doubted whether they were owing 
to the operation of, or were indeed the eggs of infects, from 
the circumftance, among others, of their being always found fparf- 
edly placed on the leaf, and not in the aggregated mode, as in- 
fcéts ufually depofit their eggs. A favourable opportunity, this 
Spring, of feeing fome of thefe leaves loaded with tubercles, con- 
firmed my fufpicions that they were not the eggs, the punctures, 
or even the work of infects, in any way whatever. Upon examin- 
ing them with one of Mr. Adams’s pocket leníes of three glaffes 
united, I obferved, that thele tubercles were not merely placed on 
the outer coat, but that they originated beneath the cuticle or ex- 
ternal film of the leaf; and that the young white Fungus might be 
difcerned through this thin green coat. Others were feen juft 
emerging with the'coat of the leaf lacerated, and fpread on the 
fide of the Fungus. On each leaf.they are very often {een in dif- 
ferent ftages of growth; fome juft appearing, others out, and with 
a puncture, or pore, juft difcernible on the top, which is the be- 
ginning of the aperture, that by and by enlarges, and the whole 
affumes a globular.cup-like form, with lacerated edges, the cavity 
being lined with white duft, among which minute fibres or. fila- 
ments may be difcerned. © When the Fungus fades, it becomes, 
from being perfe&ly white, firft yellowifh, then brown, and finally, 
each Fungus is refolved into a farinofe particle refembling the fruc- 
tification of a Polypody. This minute Fungus is fomewhat allied 
in its habit to the Lycoperdon epiphyllum Luxx æi, as found on the 
leaves of Colts-foot; but differs in not being aggregate, nor of an 
orange colour. ‘Some of them, at a certain ftage of 'growth, bear 
fome refemblance to the figures of the Carpobolus E:F. tab. tor, 
in the Genera Plantarum nova of Micuez: ; but the edges are lace-, 
rated in our Fungus, ane not in any pal cae divided into {mooth- 
VM edged, 
