various stages of growth ; from the apparent bird's nest of grass and earth, just beginning to break into 

 stellar rays, showing the egg-like ball inside, to the fully expanded star, mth its points recurved towards 

 the ground, and, owing to that change in position, becoming deeply and transversely cracked. When 

 young, the unbroken ball Hes below the surface, covered with a shaggy white coat, which grasps tightly all 

 the grass-roots and leaves, and small gritty soil. Withering describes the external surface as "bright 

 silverj' white ", but even in a dry state it is almost impossible to clear that of the specimens under con- 

 sideration, from the foreign bodies they so tenaciously hold as part of themselves ; probably to acquire the 

 resistance of weight against the wind, which otherwise would blow them away when expanded. The long 

 root, which the same authority mentions, as resembling that of Geaster coliformis, running iato the ground 

 and breaking from the sudden upward growth, I can find no trace of ; not one of these specimens shows a 

 sign of it, neither was anjihing like the withered root of one entangled in the masses accumulated round 

 others, which from their confused growth must surely have been the case.^ 



As soon as the yet entire ball of the Geasier limbatm rises above the surface, it splits at the apex, and 

 the segments faU back, forming rays, which vary greatly in number, and ai'e generally irregular. The most 

 perfect specimens, however, seldom exceed five main rays, for the intermediate ones, though splitting away 

 from these at the points, remain cormected with them for some distance from the base. The hygrometric 

 property is strong in the imperfectly expanded stars, but those fuUy recurved never resume their original 

 position ; probably because it is only in an unripe state that the closing up of the outer peridium, which 

 has some resemblance to the calyx of a flower, is needful; when the seed is ripe for dispersion, this officious 

 care would be an obstacle.- 



The real Puff-ball (inner peridium or receptacle) is grey, top-shaped, the summit rather depressed, but 

 in the centre the mouth rises, surrounded by minute corrugations ; this mouth is composed, in general, of 

 four segments, which are acutely pointed, beset with yellowish brown hairs (ciliated) and twisted into one 

 cone ; when the spores force an exit, the mouth is torn down on one side of the receptacle. Great attention 

 must be paid as to whether this inner ball be truly sessile, that is, stemless, or only appears so, the stem 

 not being seen in Geaster limbatus, tiU the tliick outer coat has become completely recurved ; the head is 

 sunk between the high shoulders, but as they fall its neck becomes apparent, there is a very evident stem 

 (peduncle) and the bottom of the httle globe is dravna in to meet it ; but there is no groove round the top 

 of the stem, wliich is a distinguishing mark from another individual of the same family. The dust-Hke 

 spores are rich brown, and very plentiful ; situated on hairs (whence the name of the sub-order Tricliogastres, 

 to which it belongs), which hairs are firmly attached by one end to the peridium, and the other extremities 

 converge towards a spongy pistil- shaped protuberance in the centre. 



On making a careful section (which those feminine implements, scissors, \\'iU execute far better than a 

 knife), the outer case wiE be found to consist of two layers of coriaceous substance ; the upper layer being 

 divided at the shoulders, to have dove-tailed between the two, the neck of the precious little ball they hold 

 in charge (for precious it surely must be to merit so much care) and which is endently of a totally different 

 substance to its quondam envelope — now pedestal. 



The outer case, although nearly colourless when dry, gives out, on being soaked in water, a rich brown 

 stain and smells Uke dried tongue. 



' Those Funguses which are sustained in their place by the attachment of similar cottony matter to dead 

 leaves, &c., are destitute of a penetrating root generally, if not invariably. Still there is no doubt of our present 

 subject being the Lycoperdon itellatum. of this autlior, whose other remarks apply admirably. 



2 The contents of the receptacle were fully matured in all the specimens before its outer case expanded, and 

 the mouth did not open for the emission of the dust tUl that expansion was complete. 



