164 FUNGUS-FLORA. 



two sots of conditions; one exposed to a strong side light, 

 the other in darkness ; in the former, all the projecting asci 

 would bend strongly towards the light ; in the latter, the 

 asci would stand erect, and would also be retarded for 

 .some hours in their appearance. The relation between 

 light and the devolopment of asci is not fully understood, 

 and offers a promising field for tho>e who have time and 

 opportunity to investigate the phenomenon. 



Ascobolus viridulus. Phil. & Plow., Grev., vol. viii. 

 p. 103 ; Phil., Brit. Disc, p. 291 ; Sacc, Syll., viii. n. 2133. 



Scattered, sessile, hemispherical, concave then expanded, 

 submarginate, thick, pale yellowish-green, coarsely granu- 

 lated; asci clavate, spores 8, elliptical, violet, becoming 

 brown, rugose-striate, 13 X 6/x; paraphyses rather stout, 

 distinctly septate, clavate at the apices, enveloped in a pale 

 green mucus. 



On rejectamenta of birds (pigeons ?). Spring. 



Ascophores |— § line broad. This has much the outward 

 character of A. furfuraceus in a young state, but the spores 

 are very much smaller. 



Not examined. 



Ascobolus crenulatus. Karsten, Myc. Fenn., i. p. 77 ; 

 Phil., Brit. Disc, p. 292 ; Sacc, Syll., viii. n. 2136. 



Ascophores gregarious, sessile, at first globose and closed, 

 then expanding, the disc becoming almost plane, yellowish 

 green, outside distinctly scurfy, margin minutely crenulate, 

 1— ltr mm. across, excipulum parenchymatous, cortical cells 

 10-12 /a diameter; asci narrowly clavate, base narrowed into 

 a pedicel, 8-spored ; spores remaining irregularly 1-seriate at 

 maturity, elliptical, becoming violet-brown, delicately striate, 

 14-15 x 6-8 jjl; paraphyses septate, hyaline, slender, not 

 thickened at the tip. 



On grouse dang. Said to have also been found on cow 

 dung. 



The principal features of the present species are, the small 

 ascophores with a crenulate margin ; narrow asci, and the 

 small spores remaining more or less 1-seriate at maturity. 



Specimen in Karsten's Fung. Fenn., n. 763, examined. 



Ascobolus Crouani. Bond., Ascob., p. 26, pi. 5, 

 fig. 2; Sacc, Syll., viii. n. 2165. 



