Order II. I^YCOPBRDACB^. 



Peridium composed of two distinct layers, globose, sessile, 

 sometimes more or less stipitate. Hymenium filling the inside 

 cavity, called the gleba ; at length, when the spores begin to 

 ripen, there is a copious effusion of water, of the color of the 

 future spores ; finally after maturity it is nothing but threads 

 and spores, which are immense. 



The following genera are included, viz : 



QuKLETiA. — Stipitate puff ball. 



Geaster. — Earth stars. 



BoviSTA. — The Bovista puff ball. 



Clavatia. — The closed puff ball. 



Lycoperdon. — The open (with a pore) puff ball. 



Mitremyces. — The mitre puffball. 



Scleroderma. — The hard puffball. 



Genus IV. QUBlyBTIA. 



Q. mirabilis. Fr. 



Peridium, globular, dirty white, smooth, dehiscent by 

 decay. Inner peridium very thin, subgleba none. 



Spores, Hght rusty. 



Stem, free from the peridium, in a socket like the stem of 



Agaricus campester ; elongated, lacerated, scaly, white, solid. 



On a bed of spent oak tan, Mosser's tannery, 1893. This is a very rare 

 puffball. From a postal, in return from Prof. Peck after receiving a 

 specimen for identification, I quote as follows : 



"State Hai.1., Ai^bany, N. Y., August, 26, 1893. 

 * ' My Dear Sir : Thanks for your kind offer to send me more speci- 

 mens of Queletia mirabilis. I would be glad to have a few more. So 

 far you are the only one in this country to find it. 



" Very truly yours, 



"Chas. H. Peck." 



163 



