212 I'KTcii : Tin: fungi 



the universal veil, though it may be doubted whether his speci- 

 men warranted the assumption. The black layer of the stalk 

 is i mt as amorphous as the outer layer of the pileus. 



De Bary (1(5) states that in the species of agaric he examined 

 increase in length and breadth of the stipe was almost 

 exclusively due to the extension of the original cells. In the 

 present species the length of the stipe may be more than a 

 metre, while the breadth changes from 2 millimetres to I 

 oi 2 centimetres and the upper portion is more solid than the 

 Lower. It is very evident t hat the number of cells in the cross 

 -• Dl ion increases enormously. The internal hyplne are of two 

 kinds, the thicker about 30 // in diameter and the remainder 

 jilinut 5 /u. The Latter arise as side branches immediately 

 below the septa of the larger hyph;e exactly as the medullary 

 hyplne are formed in the rhizomorphs of Armillaria mellca, 

 and, as in the latter, the}' branch repeatedly. There is not, 

 however, in the present case any distinct medullary tissue. 

 In this way the number of cells in the cross section constantly 

 increases upwards, branching internal hvplue being produced 

 even near the top of the stalk. As the agaric ripens, the black 

 portion of the stalk shrinks considerably, as is shown by its 

 longitudinal furrows. 



At Irregular periods, but probably only in the wet season, 

 apparently another agaric develops from the termite comb. 

 It emerges as a gray, oval structure whose outer wall is con- 

 tinuous with the white stalk. Several may develop from one 

 enmb. and at the same time many immature specimens, all 

 capable of further growth, may be present within the comb 

 ohamber, though, as in the case oi the Fktieue, none are found 



• tly through the overrj tag soil. 



1 .Ik of this second form elongates, the outer covering 



splits away from it and curves slightly out wan Is. and when the 



n<l- .i fresh rupture occurs at its margin bo that pact 



of this limveisal \ < i I LB linally l< It BU3 B ting on the stem. On 

 down tO the COmb it iS found to be pale brown 



below and of the same diametei throughout, except at the 



