104 RESEARCHES ON FUNGI 



the place, spores were observed rising from the mass in small clouds. 

 These frequently streamed out from parts of the fungus like a 

 puff of smoke for 10 or 15 seconds, then ceased and after two 

 or three minutes began again. Such streams were emitted from 

 different parts of the plant irregularly, so that from some part 

 spores were escaping almost constantly. The day was pleasant 

 and the air very quiet, yet occasionally a light puff of air passed 

 over the plant. The streaming of the spores, however, appeared to 

 be no more marked when the air stirred than when it was perfectly 

 quiet." 



Banker then says : " My own observation on Steccherinum 

 septentrionale conforms to von Schrenk's description of the spore- 

 discharge in Polyporus Schweinitzii. Buller accounts for the 

 intermittent clouds by tiny irregular air currents, and thinks the 

 spores were in reality ' falling continuously and regularly by their 

 own weight.' In the case of his own observation on Polyporus 

 squamosus this view appears to be confirmed, and he likens the 

 appearance to the steam arising from a cup of tea in irregular eddies 

 or the curling of tobacco smoke from the bowl of a pipe. 1 Had 

 he observed the discharge in Steccherinum septentrionale I believe 

 he would not have felt so confident of his explanation. The cloud- 

 like discharge was more as the curling smoke of the tobacco when 

 one breathes at intervals through the pipe. I doubt if the dis- 

 charge is due to any propelling force as hinted by von Schrenk, 

 but it seems to me probable that over certain restricted areas there 

 is a simultaneous liberation of great quantities of spores followed 

 by a period of rest. That such intermittent spore release occurs 

 in all Hymenomycetes is improbable, but it seems to account for 

 the phenomenon as observed in Steccherinum septentrionale and 

 Polyporus Schweinitzii . ' ' 



Banker's observations are interesting as being the first of their 

 kind made upon any Hydnum, but his explanation of the irregular 

 spore-clouds which he observed coming from the fruit-bodies I 

 regard as probably erroneous. The supposition that over restricted 

 areas of the fungus there was " a simultaneous liberation of spores 

 followed by a period of rest ' lacks experimental proof and is 

 1 Vide these Researches, vol. i, 1909, pp. 89-90. 



