CHAPTER XXI 



THE DISPERSION OF SPORES BY ANIMALS— COPROPHILOUS 

 HYMENOMYCETES— SLUGS AND HYMENOMYCETES 



The fruit-bodies of the Hymenomycetes, as we have seen, exhibit many 

 beautiful arrangements both in structure and function, which enable 

 the spores to be liberated into the air beneath the hymenium in 

 such a manner that they may be carried away by the Avind. A 

 comparative study of fruit-body organography in the numerous 

 and diverse species existing at the present day, permits us to 

 conclude with soine certainty that the fruit-bodies of the Hymeno- 

 mycetes, at the beginning of their phylogenetic development, were 

 anemophilous, and that they remained so ever since. However, for 

 certain of the coprophilous fungi, or possibly for most of them, 

 animal agency is made of secondary use in bringing the spores 

 into a suitable situation for germination and further development. 



Coprophilous Hymenomycetes.— Certain species belonging to the 

 genera Copriuus, Pan;eolus, Anellaria, and Galera are to be seen with 

 remarkable frequency upon the dung of horses and cattle, and one 

 may look for them in vain upon any other substrata. It seems 

 clear that they have become specialised for a coprophilous habit 

 of life.^ The infection of the fiieces may take place in two Avays : 

 (1) By spores carried to them directly by the wind, and (2) by 

 spores which are first dispersed by the wind, which then settle, 

 and which are subsequently swallowed with herbage by the animals 

 concerned. That the first mode of infection is possible may be 



^ Saccardo gives T.'iT species included in 187 genera as being coprophilous. 

 To this large number the Hymenomycetes contribute but few species as compared 

 with the Ascomycetes and Phycomycetes. Many coprophilous fungi, so far as is 

 known, are only found on dung. Species to the number of 708 are recorded as 

 living on the dung of Herbivora, 45 on that of Carnivora, and 4 on that of 

 Reptilia. Saccardo, Sylloge Fungorum, XII., Pars. I., 3, 873-902. Cited from 

 Massee and Sahnon, Ann. of Bot., vol. xv., 1901, pp. .317, 322. 



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