PHALLOIDE.« OF CEYLON. 13 



head of the expanded fungus was completely liidden by the 

 N'olva, the " egg " having ruptured towards tiie base instead 

 of near the apex. Berkeley's figure of Simblum gnicile shows 

 a part of the volva adiioring to the head. The meshes of the 

 netted head are u.sually pentagonal, but in one specimen the 

 apex was occupied by a single circular mesh ; fitting in 

 between tliis and the pentagonal mesiies on one side were 

 three i.solatecl triangular meshes, while the four pentagonal 

 meHJies which l>ordered it on the other side were separated 

 from it by double bars. One specimen, collected when fully 

 e.\j)andcd and rigid, had a head 3 cms. high and 24 cms. 

 diameter : but at the top. on one side, there was a horizontal, 

 projecting, netted swelling. 1 cm. diameter ; it resembled 

 another head attached laterally to the original head. 



The stalk of SinMnm prriphnujmoides usually consists of an 

 inner layer of large chambers, surrounded by one to three 

 layers of smaller chambers, and the chambers of tlie inner 

 layer are continuous from the top to the base of the stalk. Of 

 six specimens gathered from the same spot at the .same time, 

 f«>ur had the usual inner layer of large chambers, surrounded 

 by a single layer of small chambers, while the other two had 

 a single layer of large chambers only, sometimes with a small 

 chamber wedged in at the periphery. These chambers were 

 open, as usual, from the apex to the base of the stalk, and 

 therefore the stalks of these two specimens were identical in 

 structure with those of <^olus Gardneri. 



Twin speiMmens of Simblum are not uncommon. In general 

 they are of two kinds ; in one type the '' eggs " are adlierent, 

 but each develops an independent receptaculum ; in the other 

 two eggs are united, without any partition between them, and 

 the receptaculum consists of two distinct stalks with only a 

 single head. I have recently found a third mode of " twinning " 

 which does not appear to have been recorded before. In this 

 specimen the two stalks and the heads are united throughout 

 their whole length. The wall of each stalk is composed of a 

 single layer of cavities, but where they are united there is 

 only a single layer common to both. 



When the diameter of the head of Simblum exceeds that of 

 the stalk the head appears well defined. The transition from 



