214 ROMANCE OF LOW LIFE AMONGST PLANTS. 



" I have seen a stipe opened and lacerated irregu- 

 larly, the whole of the flesh of which remained phos- 

 phorescent during three consecutive evenings, but the 

 brightness diminished in intensity from the exterior 

 to the interior, so that on the third day it did not 

 issue from the inner part of the stipe. The phos- 

 phorescence of the gills is in no way modified at first 

 by immersing the fungus in water ; when they have 

 been immersed they are as bright as in the air, but 

 the fungi which I left immersed until the next even- 

 ing lost all their phosphorescence, and communicated 

 to the water an already sensible yellow tint ; alcohol 

 put upon the phosphorescent gills did not at once 

 completely obliterate the light, but visibly enfeebled 

 it. As to the spores, which are white, I have found 

 many times very dense coats of them thrown down 

 on porcelain plates, but I have never seen them 

 phosphorescent. 



" As to the observation of Delile that the agaric 

 of the olive does not shine during the day, when 

 placed in total darkness, I think that it could not 

 have been repeated. From what I have said of the 

 phosphorescence of Agariciis okarius, one naturally 

 concludes that there does not exist any necessary 

 relation between this phenomenon and the fructifica- 

 tion of the fungus. The luminous brightness of the 

 hymenium shows, says Delile, 'the greater activity 

 of the reproductive organs,' but it is not in conse- 

 quence of its reproductive functions, which may be 

 judged only as an accessory phenomenon, the cause 

 of which is independent of, and more general than 

 these functions, since all the parts of the fungus, its 



