FUNGI. 209 



of the vegetable kingdom the pale, livid, and deadly- 

 light emanating from it conveys to him an im- 

 pression of something supernatural, and often causes 

 no little degree of terror in weak minds, or in those 

 willing to believe in supernatural agencies. I have 

 frequently gathered this fungus, and, on placing it 

 in a dark room, found that it has retained the 

 luminous power for two successive nights ; the phos- 

 phorescence, becoming fainter in the second, dis- 

 appears entirely by the third night. This fungus is 

 of a white colour above, and of a delicate yellowish 

 white beneath, varying in size from six to ten inches 

 across its greatest breadth. The whole of the plant 

 shines with a pale, livid, and greenish phosphorescent 

 glow, similar to that which obtains in that very 

 luminous aggregate tunicated mollusc, the Pyro- 

 souia." ^ Probably this was Agariais nidifoniiis, 

 which was met with by Drummond in West Australia; 

 but that is not to be determined in the absence of 

 specimens. Drummond, during one of his botanical 

 trips, was struck by the appearance of a large agaric, 

 measuring sixteen inches in diameter, and weighing 

 about five pounds. This specimen was hung up to 

 dry in the sitting-room, and, on passing through the 

 apartment in the dark, it was observed to give out 

 a most remarkable light. The luminous property 

 continued, though gradually diminishing, for four or 

 five nights, when it ceased, on the plant becoming 

 dry. He says, " We called some of the natives, and 

 showed them the fungus when emitting: lifjht, and 



• George Bennett, M.D., " Gatherings of a Naturalist in Australasia," 

 p. 59. (i860.) 



P 



