468 RESEARCHES ON FUNGI 



{Helvella ephippium), de Bary {Peziza acetabulum and Helvetia crispa). 

 Stone {Helvella elastica), and Johnstone {Otidea leporina). 



A simple method for rendering audible the puffing of Discomycetes 

 has been described. One takes a fruit-body, which is ready to puff, out 

 of the closed chamber where it has been confined for some hours, and one 

 immediately places its mouth or upper hymenial side close against an ear. 

 As soon as the fruit-body puffs (usually in 1-3 seconds), the sound of the 

 puffing can be easily heard and one can feel one's ear being sprayed by 

 spores and sap-drops. 



By putting fruit-bodies to an ear in the manner just described, the 

 author has heard the sound of puffing in the following species : 



Aleuria repanda, Pustularia catinus, 



Aleuria vesiculosa, Pjnronema confiuens, 



Ascobolus stercorarius, Rhizina inflata, 



Caloscypha fulgens, Sarcoscypha protracta, 



Ciliaria scutellata, Sarcosphaera coronaria, 



Galactinia badia, Urnula Craterium, 



Peziza aurantia, Urnula geaster. 

 Pseudoplectania nigrella, 



The sound produced by most large Discomycetes when puffing 

 reminds one of hissing, but that produced by Rhizina inflata suggests 

 effervescence. 



The hissing sound produced by the puffing of Pustularia catinus, 

 Aleuria vesiculosa, Sarcoscypha protracta, etc., is comparatively loud, but 

 has a duration of only about two or three seconds. On the other hand, 

 the effervescent sound produced by the puffing of Rhizina inflata is 

 comparatively feeble, but has a duration of from one to several minutes. 

 A puffing fruit-body of R. inflata can be passed from one person to another 

 and thus be heard by several people in succession. 



The discharge of conidia by Empusa and Entomophthora and of basi- 

 diospores by the Uredineae and Hymenomycetes, although inaudible to 

 the unaided ear, might possibly be heard with the help of a microphone. 



The sound emitted by fungus guns has no biological significance. 



PART III 



Chapter I. — In Collyhia radicata, Tricholoma macrorhizum, Pholiota 

 radicosa, Coprinus macrorhizus, and certain other Agaricaceae, the stipe 

 of the fruit-body is prolonged downwards through the substratum for 

 some distance by means of a so-called rooting base. For " rooting base " 

 Fayod has substituted the excellent term pseudorhiza which has been 

 adopted by the author. 



