xxviii INTRODUCTION. 



My Sphceria agariciformia is alfo figured in the Flora Danica, and is 

 thus defcribed : " Fungus difficultor ad ullum notorum generum refer endus, 

 " Jlipite exalbo livefcente fuberofo fefquipolicari, pileo glandis farina fufca 

 " cute fubcarnea papillofa ports cellulorum carnis, mucellagine feu gelatina 

 " reptetorum." It is figured on plate 54.0, but the plant was fmall, and 

 its very lingular root not at all attended to. In the fpecimens which I 

 have feen of this rare plant, the Filei have frequently been twin, or 

 double on the fame Hem. 



The curious Phenomenon of Elafticity, in the feed-bearing fila- 

 ments in many plants of this order, as well as of the Filices, is truly 

 worthy of admiration; it is vifible to the naked eye in many of the 



larger fpecies, and by the ufe of glafles, in the moft minute. Mr. 



Edward Robson, an ingenious Botanift, of Darlington, in the 

 bifhopric of Durham, has lately communicated io me an obfervation, 

 made by him, upon the Scarlet Clathrus, which may ferve to illuftrate 

 this curious operation of Nature : what he has written I will tranfcribe 

 in his own words. 



" I have enclofed a fpecimen of a wonderful little plant. The ftalk 

 is about a line in length, bearing at the top a round head, about the 

 fize of a rape feed, at the firft very tender, and contains a liquor like 

 milk ; from that they turn to a beautiful orange colour, and after that 

 to an olive. When mature, and fit for examination, I looked at a 

 great many of them through the explacator ; and fome amongft them 

 were juft opening at the top : One of thefe I laid on the talck in the 

 Aider, and viewed it through the filver fpeculum. At the firft I was 

 much furprifed, to fee a part of the fibres, that had got through the 

 rupture, moving like the legs of a fly when laid on its back. I then 

 burft it with the point of a pin, and was furprifed ftill more, when I 

 faw it had the appearance of a little bundle of worms entangled toge- 

 ther, or fibres all alive. I next took the little bundle of fibres quite 

 out, and the animal motion was then fo exceeding ftrong, as to turn 

 it half round, firft one way and then another, and two or three times 

 it got out of the focus. Almoft every fibre had a different motion ; 



" fome 



