THE COPRINUS TYPE OF FRUIT-BODY 207 



to be nothing more than an assumption based on an imperfect 

 analogy with the phenomena of spore - dispersion in Phallus 

 impudicus and other PhaUine^e. I have carefully watched auto- 

 digesting fruit-bodies of Coprinus comatus in the field and have 

 failed to observe any insects visiting them. The absence of any 

 red or suggestive colour on the exterior of the pileus and the 

 scarcely noticeable and inoffensive odour, are additional facts 

 pointing to the conclusion that the fungus has no special arrange- 

 ments with insect visitors. The chief evidence in refuting the 

 insect theory, however, is that the liquid drops which in moist 

 weather hang from the margin of the pileus, contain practically 

 no spores. The few which are present, doubtless, have got into 

 them by accident. It seems quite certain that the paajority of 

 the spores are always carried off by the wind. 



Upon gathering "deliquescing" fruit-bodies of Coprinus comatus, 

 mycologists usually find it convenient to lay them more or less 

 horizontally in the collecting tins in order to bring them to the 

 laboratory. Under these conditions, in the course of an hour or 

 so, the lower ends of the gills, where autodigestion is taking 

 place, become hopelessly stuck together and the spaces between 

 their ends blocked up. The dark Huid then becomes laden with 

 spores. The delicate mechanism for securing the liberation of 

 spores into the air thus becomes entirely spoiled. Possibly, the 

 sight of the gills stuck together in an inky mass in this way has 

 given rise to the erroneous impression that the spores in nature 

 become involved in the putrescent fruit-body. In order to study 

 the phenomenon of spore-liberation in its normal course, the best 

 plan is as follows. One gathers a large fruit-body which is opening 

 out below and has therefore reached a stage in its development 

 just previous to the beginning of autodigestion. One lays the 

 fruit-body in a vasculum in any convenient position and, on 

 arrival at the laboratory, one plants it upright in wet sand by 

 means of its stipe, so that it comes to have the same orientation 

 that it had when growing in nature. In the course of a few hours 

 normal autodigestion begins at the bottom of each gill and pro- 

 gresses upwards just as in the field. The spaces between the ends 

 of the gills remain open, and, if the fruit-body is covered with a 



