20 FETCH : 



they are pplicrical or ellipsoidal, in the latter case with the long 

 axis horizontal. They are wholly white, or mottled with red- 

 dish-brown, sometimes entirelj'' red-brown on the exposed parts. 



The outer wall is thin, but tougli. When the specimens are 

 fresli it is even, not areolated as in Clathrus crisyalus ; but it 

 becomes areolated on drjang. Consequently dried specimens 

 may readily be mistaken for " eggs " of Clathrus crispatus. 

 As a rule the outer wall is glabrous, but in one specimen from 

 Hakgala it is scaly-tomentose. The largest specimen I have 

 seen was 5-5 cms. long, 4-2 cms. broad, and 3 6 cms. high. 



A section of the fungus, before dehquescence has occurred, 

 shows that tiie interior is filled with a bluish-hyaline jelly. 

 Narrow, almost membranous ridges penetrate radially into the 

 jell} fromtheouter wall to a depth of three to five millimeters. 

 These ridges or plates form a network on the inner side of 

 the wall, and hence the latter becomes areolated on drying. 

 The gleba is arranged along the edges of the ridges, in masses 

 wliicli are more or less oval and lobed in section. These masses 

 penetrate about half way to the centre ; they are dark green 

 externally, olive internally. From the point of attachment 

 of the mycelium several fibres radiate towards the gleba. 



The internal structure of the fungus, especially in the jilates 

 (T ridges radiating from the exterior, strongly recalls that of 

 CUiihrns. In ('lathrus, similar membranous ridges unite the net 

 to the outer wall. Proiuhera is, in appearance, a Clathrus with- 

 out a Jiet . I'hc gleba of Clathrus, however, in mj^ specimens of 

 ('Uilhrus rrisfxitiis, fills the whole of the centre of tlie egg; it 

 does not leave a clear space filled with jelly, as in Protuhera. 



Th(^ mycelium is white, or purplish, in cords up to 2 rams, in 

 diameter. I liavo not found sphsero-crystals in it. 



The spores in the Nuwara EUya specimens were narrow- 

 oval, smooUi, greenish-hyaline, 4-5 X 2[i. ; in a tomentose 

 specimen from Hakgala they were oblong with rounded ends, 

 4-7 X 2-51/.. 



My first specimen was kept in damp eartli under a bell glass 

 for several weeks, in the expectation that it would expand, 

 or at least rui)ture in some way ; but nothing of the kind 

 happen»'d. Subsecjuent experience has shown that the outer 

 wall does not rupt ure, e.xcejjt by accident, Tlie fungus absorbs 



