RYPAROBIUS. 183 



Crowded, often confluent and forming a continuous crust, 

 hemispherical, glabrous, more or less tawny, the plane disc 

 usually paler, up to 1 mm. across ; excipulum parenchy- 

 matous, cortical cells polygonal, 12-15 fx diameter; asci 

 broadly cylindric-clavate, suddenly contracted into a very 

 short, stout, usually oblique pedicel ; spores 48-64, hyaline, 

 elliptical, smooth, 8-10 x 4-5 /x, aggregated in a cluster near 

 theapex of the ascus at maturity ; paraphyses scanty, septate, 

 hyaline, scarcely thickened at the tips. 



Ryparobius crustaceus, Sacc, Syll., viii. n. 2231. 



On dung of horse, cow, dog, rabbit, &c. 



Distinguished by the densely crowded habit of growth 

 and the number of spores in the ascus, which is normally 64. 



Specimen in Rehm's Ascom., n. 771, examined. 



Ryparobius dubius. Boud., Ascob., p. 240, pi. x., 

 fig. 26; Phil., Brit. Disc, p. 300; Sacc, Syll., viii. n. 2240. 



Scattered, very minute, scarcely visible under a lens, often 

 immersed, globose, the disc expanding and becoming convex, 

 pallid, pellucid, immarginate ; asci broadly ovate or oblong- 

 ovate, very slightly or not at all narrowed at the base, 

 spores numerous (probably 128), hyaline, smooth, elliptical, 

 ends rather pointed (6 X 4 fx according to Rehm), aggregated 

 in a cluster near the top of the ascus at maturity; para- 

 physes absent or rare, short, hyaline, septate. 



On dung of horse, rabbit, and sheep. 



Unknown to me. 



Distinguished by the very small size of the ascophore, 

 and the numerous small spores. 



* j""j" Ascophore ciliated or pilose. 



Ryparobius argenteus. B. & Br., Ann. Nat. Hist,, 

 ser. 4, vol. ii. p. 347, pi. ix., fig. 11; Phil., Brit. Disc, 

 p. 301 ; Sacc, Syll., n. 2248. 



Scattered, very minute, scarcely I mm. diameter, sessile, 

 at first subglobose, then becoming plane, silvery white, 

 margin fringed with delicate, thin-walled, pointed hairs, 

 50-65 X 5-6 /x ; excipulum parenchymatous ; asci short, 

 broadly cylindric-clavate, pedicel short, stout, containing 



