Botanical Notices from Java, 329 



In the Phallus impudicus, the type of the genus Phallus, there 

 exists, as in the preceding genus, a gelatinous volva, inclosed in 

 two thin membranes, hymenial cavities whose agglomeration 

 forms a mucilaginous mass, and lastly a central axis, which serves, 

 like the branches of the Clathrus, to support the hymenium. 



The analogy is perfect, and to dilate further on the structure 

 of Phallus would merely be to repeat what we have already said. 



The organs of fructification deserve however particular notice. 

 The hymenial cavities do not at all differ from those of Clathrus, 

 but they are furnished with spores at least twice as large ; these 

 spores are grouped in fours, fives and sixes, and are undoubtedly 

 supported on basidia, which it is very difficult to isolate and to 

 see distinctly, but the existence of which is evident. The fruc- 

 tiferous substance undergoes the same modifications as in Clathrus; 

 at first adhesive, it afterwards becomes mucilaginous, and in the 

 end deliquesces, forming a liquid of a very disagreeal3le odour. 



An identical organization already observed in the genus Cyno- 

 phallus ought necessarily to exist in the rest of the Phalloidece 

 and of the ClathraceiB ; it doubtless extends also to the Lysuroidea 

 and to the genus Battarea, which forms a point of transition with 

 the TrichogastrecB. 



We hope that further observations will confirm these hypo- 

 theses, and throw some light on the structure, so imperfectly 

 known, of the mushrooms belonging to these various groups. 



XXX VIII. — Journey through Java, descriptive of its Topography 

 and Natural History. By Dr. Fr. Junghuhn*. 



The present work, by the well-known botanist Dr. Junghuhn, fur- 

 nishes us with the results of the author's great labours in natural 

 history in Java. They are the more interesting, as his descriptions 

 (as might be expected from a botanist) relate especially to vegeta- 

 tion. They are also the more important to the phytographer, as the 

 author has shown himself capable of connecting intimately these de- 

 scriptions with the other natural features of the country ; and thus to 

 present to our minds picturesquely all the details of natural history, 

 and at the same time in a strictly scientific manner. We may also 

 infer, from the ability of the author, that his geognostical and phy- 

 sical investigations possess the greatest accuracy ; from which cir- 

 cumstance, we have in this work a valuable mass of observations in 

 natural history, corresponding to the magnificence of the natural 

 features of Java. 



It is our intention to give a sketch of this journey as far as our 

 limits will allow, which will be the more easy, as the author charac- 

 terizes episodically every distinct subject in all its relations to na- 

 tural history. 



* From the Botanische Zeitung, Aug. 29th, 1845. 



