8 FETCH : 



In one specimen which was brought into tlie laboratory in 

 the " egg " stage, and which expanded, under a bell glass, 

 during tiie night, the following injury occurred. The upper 

 part of tlie volva split off as a hemispherical cap, which 

 remained attached to the lower part at one side. The apex 

 of tlie pileus adhered to this lid, and the expanded recepta- 

 culum therefore took the fown of an inverted U. Moreover, 

 the pileus was divided by a circular fracture parallel to its 

 lower edge, and the lower part was left as a ring round the 

 stalk witliin tlie volva. Examples of this kind sliow tliat the 

 hidicrous figures of phalloids which were pubhslied in the 

 early days of mycology are not necessarily '' fakes." They 

 may very probably have been based on specimens similarly 

 damaged duiing expansion. The example here recorded Avas 

 collected with part of the wood on whicli it was growing, and 

 was certainly not injured during its conveyance to the 

 laboratory. 



Dictyophora phalloidea Desv. 



Two examples of this species were brought to me in the 

 laboratory at 8.45 a.m. One of them was complete, but the 

 other had been lifted out of tlie volva, the latter being left 

 behind in the ground. In both specimens the stalk had 

 expanded, but the net was folded up into a wrinkled sheet 

 beneath the cap. In the one with a volva. the net was com- 

 pletely liidden by the cap. and if it had been dried in this state 

 it wcnild have been mistaken for Phalhis impudicus ; in the 

 other, the contracted net projected for about 2 mms. beyond 

 the lower edge of t he cap. An attempt was made to obtain a 

 j>hotograph of them in tliis state, but during the process the 

 net of the first was extrnde'd from beneath the cap for a length 

 of about 4 mms. .while the net of the second extended further, 

 and b»'gan to open out. At 9.10 A.M., both specimens were 

 fully ex])aiuled. with the usual rigid net extending almost to 

 the hast*. During all (his time the specimens were lying on a 

 Hlu'et of ylasH in the laboratory without any protection from 

 evaporation, nor was any water supplied to them. When the 

 specimens were photographed they measured 14 and 13-5 

 cms. iu height respectively, but after the completion of the 

 expansion of the veil each measured 18 5 cms. The stalks 



