REVISIONS OF CEYLON FUNGI. 417 



researches that these are all identical with Auricularia auricula 

 judce. He gives illustrations of five specimens ; two of these 

 (la and b) represent a concave form, with a smooth hyme- 

 nium, which, like the larger forms of Hirneola polytricha, do 

 not differ much in appearance from the European species ; 

 two others {Id and e) are good figures of Auricularia tremel- 

 losa, while the intermediate form (Ic) appears to be a badly 

 developed specimen of the latter. It is evident that his opinion 

 as to the identity of these cannot be transferred to the 

 Ceylon species, since he did not meet with Hirneola polytricha : 

 this is an obvious deduction from his statement that, in all the 

 forms he met with, the upper surface is to the naked eye 

 completely smooth when fresh. Hirneola polytricha on the 

 contrary is always strongly hairy in all stages of development, 

 in aU its varying sizes , and under all conditions of rainfall and 

 elevation. Nevertheless, objection must be taken to his con- 

 clusion that A. tremellosa is identical with A. auricula judce. 



Holtermann (Mykologische Untersuchungen aus den Tropen) 

 has apphed the same theory to the species in the Eastern 

 Hemisphere. He groups together, Laschia velutina Lev., 

 Laschia tremellosa Fr., Hirneola polytricha Mont,, Auricularia 

 porphyrea (Lev.) Fr., Auricularia tenuis (Lev.) Auricularia 

 pellucida (Jungli.) Fr., and styles them sXl Auricularia auricula 

 judce. He gives figures of typical Hirneola polytricha (PI. VI., 

 la) ; the same species with a folded hymenium {Id) ; the upper 

 surface of Auricularia tremellosa, evidently abnormal {lb) ; 

 and a very poor representation of the under surface of A. 

 tremellosa (Ic). Fig. le, which shows Hirneola polytricha 

 growing from the middle of a specimen which Holtermann 

 considers tremellosa, can hardly be interpreted without the 

 specimen ; but it may be stated that the phenomenon is 

 fairly common in my cultivations of H. polytricha, both 

 specimens being of course typical H. polytricha in that case. 

 The differences between the extreme forms, typical H. poly- 

 tricha and typical A. tremellosa were so great that Holtermann 

 could not beheve that they were the same species ; but by 

 sowing the spores of the tomentose H. polytricha he obtained 

 smooth specimens which he regarded as A. tremellosa. It is 

 however to be noted that the difference between the two 



