324 FETCH : 



comb is doubt till, bvit is continued through the wall of the 

 chamber to the comb itseK. When in the agaric -producing 

 stage, the substance of the comb is densely permeated with 

 hyphw, has a stronger fungus smell than usual, and a2:)pears 

 to be in process of decay ; but its passages are quite free, and 

 not filled A\ith hyphaj as thej'- may be when the Xylarid is 

 produced. The mycelium of the agaric within the comb is 

 confined to the substance of the comb ; it does not fill the 

 passages nor involve the whole comb in a weft of hj'phse. As 

 a rule, combs which are producmg agarics do not contain 

 larvae. 



In view of several misconceptions, due to a too exclusive 

 reliance on reviews and abstracts in place of a reference to the 

 original papers, it must be emphasized that (1) the agaric 

 undoubtedly arises from the termite comb, not merely from 

 the soil in the neighbourhood of the nest, (2) it grows from the 

 comb while the nest is inhabited, and (3) it has never been 

 found in any other situation. ' 



The agaric occurs in two forms, identical so far as their pilei 

 are concerned, but differmg in the character of their stalks. 

 The pileus is at first conico-campanulate, then almost plane 

 with a strongly developed umbo, smooth or radially rugose, 

 with a cartilaginous surface layer, glabrous, viscid when 

 moist, blackish-brown at the umbo, becoming gray towards 

 the edge, sometimes \\ holl}' livid brown, sometimes gray. The 

 margin is usually irregular, and the pileus may be split almost 

 to the centre. The white flesh is diiferentiated from the stalk, 

 and is verv thin towards the margin. The diameter of the 

 pileus varies from G to 15 centimetres. The gills are free, 

 equal, crowded, about "> mm. broad, for a long time white, 

 but finally phik fiom the spores, and pinkish yellow in decay. 

 The spores are pale pink in mass, elliptic, 8-10 X 4-5iJ.. 



The first indicati(m of the agaric on the comb is a small Avhite 

 patch, 1-,'} mm. in diaineter, composed of erect, rather thick- 

 walled hypha^ , which have a diameter of 4-5 [a when they emerge 

 from the comi), but increase rai)idly to C-8 (J- and terminate 

 in clavate heads l(J-12ix in diameter. As growth proceeds 

 other hypha' arc atlded extciriorly and a conical mound is 

 foriued. 



