326 FETCH : 



instead of cU-vi-loping a cartilaginous coat over the whole, it 

 produces a thin stalk from the apex. This stalk is only about 

 2 mm. diameter, with an outer cartilaginous coat ^^■hich tiu-ns 

 black. As it ascends through the soil it expands up to 1-2 

 cm. in diameter. When the agaric emerges, it has apparently 

 no imiversal veil, but only a viscid cartilaginous layer on the 

 pilcus ; its stalk is white and fibrillose, without a ring, but on 

 tracing it do^\^lwar(ls its colour changes to black a short 

 distance below the surface, where there is sometimes a sudden 

 swellmg. The course of events in this case would ajjpear to be 

 as follows, ^^'hen the stalk enters the soil from the comb 

 chamber it expands and produces the immature agaric, the 

 outer cartilaginous coat forming the universal veil. As it 

 apj)roachcs the surface, rupture of the universal veil occurs 

 at the margin of the pileus, so that the agaric emerges destitute 

 of a ring, as a rule. That the covering of the pileus and the 

 black external layer of the lower part of the stalk formed part 

 of the same layer cannot be doubted ; and the explanation 

 given is supported by several black-stalked specimens which 

 actually |)ossess a ring, e.g., Berkeley's Armillaria curhiza. 

 This form of the agaric is Berkeley's Colbjbia sparsibarbis , and 

 the l^luleus of other authors ; it is also Berkeley's Lepiota 

 alhuminosa, the figure of which shows a stalk black below, and 

 fragTuents of the universal veil projecting over the margin of 

 the ])il('us in continuation of the outer layer. The dilYercnce 

 ]>etwetn the " Loiiimis " and the " Phdcus " forms depends 

 on the fact that in the former the immature agaric is developed 

 to the gill stage in the comb chamber, \\hilc in the latter it is 

 develojted within the soil ; this is not dependent on the depth 

 of the comb below the surface. 



The '' Lcntinufi " form grows in large numbers from a single 

 comb. 1 have gathered ten fully-exi)anded specimens which 

 grew from one comb, while more than twenty immature 

 exaiiij)les were present in the comb chamber. On the othei- 

 hand, only one " PInicns" as a rule, grows from a i-omb, anil 

 on digging down to the chamber the others are found to be 

 aborted and in course of decay. It is owing to that circum- 

 stance that it is ])ossible to obtain all stages of the former, but 

 not of the laf(<T. l-AJdcntlv the conditions inider which the 



