﻿OF 
  BRITISH 
  FUNGI. 
  7 
  

  

  pletely 
  lifted 
  out 
  of 
  their 
  beds 
  by 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  large 
  

   toadstools 
  beneath 
  them. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  stones 
  measured 
  

   twenty-two 
  inches 
  by 
  twenty-one, 
  and 
  weighed 
  eighty 
  - 
  

   three 
  pounds, 
  and 
  the 
  resistance 
  afforded 
  by 
  the 
  mortar 
  

   which 
  held 
  it 
  in 
  its 
  place 
  would 
  probably 
  be 
  even 
  a 
  

   greater 
  obstacle 
  than 
  the 
  weight. 
  It 
  became 
  necessary 
  

   to 
  repave 
  the 
  whole 
  town 
  in 
  consequence 
  of 
  this 
  re- 
  

   markable 
  disturbance. 
  A 
  similar 
  incident 
  came 
  under 
  

   our 
  own 
  notice, 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  kitchen 
  hearthstone 
  which 
  

   was 
  forced 
  up 
  from 
  its 
  bed 
  by 
  an 
  under-growing 
  

   fungus, 
  and 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  relaid 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  times, 
  until 
  at 
  

   hist 
  it 
  reposed 
  in 
  peace, 
  the 
  old 
  bed 
  having 
  been 
  removed 
  

   to 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  six 
  inches, 
  and 
  a 
  new 
  foundation 
  laid. 
  

   A 
  circumstance 
  recorded 
  by 
  Sir 
  Joseph 
  Banks 
  is 
  still 
  

   more 
  extraordinary, 
  of 
  a 
  cask 
  of 
  wine 
  which, 
  having 
  

   been 
  confined 
  for 
  three 
  years 
  in 
  a 
  cellar, 
  was, 
  at 
  the 
  

   termination 
  of 
  that 
  period, 
  found 
  to 
  have 
  leaked 
  from 
  

   the 
  cask, 
  and 
  vegetated 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  immense 
  fungi, 
  

   which 
  had 
  filled 
  the 
  cellar 
  and 
  borne 
  upwards 
  the 
  

   empty 
  wine-cask 
  to 
  the 
  roof. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  a 
  curious 
  fact 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  

   these 
  singular 
  plants, 
  that, 
  while 
  Phanerogams 
  under 
  

   ordinary 
  circumstances 
  absorb 
  carbonic 
  acid 
  from 
  the 
  

   atmosphere, 
  and 
  respire 
  oxygen, 
  in 
  this 
  instance 
  the 
  

   order 
  is 
  reversed, 
  and 
  carbonic 
  acid 
  gas 
  is 
  given 
  off 
  

   It 
  is 
  believed 
  that 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  green 
  colouring 
  

   matter, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  in 
  some 
  few 
  instances 
  of 
  a 
  

   kind 
  of 
  mineral 
  green, 
  is 
  due, 
  in 
  part, 
  to 
  this 
  reversal 
  

   of 
  transpired 
  gases. 
  One 
  thing 
  is 
  certain, 
  that 
  in 
  

   flowering 
  plants 
  light 
  is 
  absolutely 
  essential 
  not 
  onlv 
  to 
  

  

  