TERMITE FtJNGI: A RESUME. .*i27 



first form is produced are the more favourable for the develop- 

 ment of the agaric ; and the black (instead of brown) base of 

 the stalk of the second form, as well as the condition of the 

 aborted specimens, suggests that the development of that 

 form is much slower than that of the " Lentinus." The second 

 form is the commoner, but the other is by no means rare. 



The list of synonyms illustrates the difficulty experienced 

 in classifying this agaric. Berkelej^'s specimens had been 

 collected when the gills were still white, and hence he placed 

 it among the Leucosporse under Armillaria, Lepiota, Collybia, 

 and Lentinus, w^hile Cesati attributed a similar example to 

 Tricholoma. On the other hand, specimens gathered when 

 the gills were pink, or pinkish-j^ellow^ when old, have been 

 assigned to Pluteus, Flammula, arid Pholiota. The spore - 

 print is pink, Avith a tinge of yellow. It is certainly not the 

 typical colour of the Rhodosporse, and von Hohnel is probably 

 correct in placing it as a rosy-spored form of the Leucosporas. 

 If that be granted, it must be included under Collybia. The 

 ring, when one is present, is not a ring in the usual sense, but 

 an annular fragment of the miiversal veil. The objection to 

 including it under Collybia is that in all its forms it possesses 

 a universal veil, whereas in the species of Collybia which have 

 been critically examined, e.g., Collybia velutipes, no such 

 structure is present. However, as few species have been 

 investigated, the evidence is insufficient to afford any basis for 

 generalization. 



The aborted agarics form more or less conical columns up to 

 2 cm. high and 6 mm. diameter at the base. They are brown 

 and slightly tomentose below, but become black at the apex. 

 They often occur in large numbers on a single comb, especially 

 towards the lower edge, as shown on Plate VIII., Ann. Pera- 

 deniya. Vol. III. Jumelle and Perrier de la Bathie describe 

 similar structures on the comb of Termes perrieri, which they 

 state occur on the under surface of the comb, and especially 

 somewhat laterally at the lower edge ; they form brown 

 columns, from the middle of which is developed a thick, 

 cylindric, brown cord, 3-4 mm. long. These authors attribute 

 them to the Xylaria, considering them to be abortive attempts 

 to produce the rhizomorphs of the latter, though they did not 



6(9)12 (42) 



