228 ROMANCE OF LOW LIFE AMONGST PLANTS. 



rupture of the peridium, and the changes described, 

 occur during the hot months of the year, from the 

 early part of July till the end of September, and 

 therefore at a time when insect life is very abun- 

 dant, and when myriads of flies abound. As soon 

 as the dung-like odour is developed, the liquefying 

 hymenium is visited by large numbers of flies, which 

 sometimes on hot sunny days almost cover it, and 

 suck up the fluid mass with great avidity, very soon 

 removing the most of it. When the weather is dull, 

 and cloudy or cold, fewer flies are to be seen on the 

 gleba, but it is possible that the deliquescence then 

 goes on more slowly.-^ 



The insects which visited the fetid slime were 

 found to be the ordinary blue-bottle, which was 

 abundant, and a large bright metallic green-fly. On 

 empty gleba which had fallen were seen several small 

 beetles and dung-flies. Under further experiment it 

 was found that when the characteristic odour was 

 developed, large numbers of blow-flies rapidly ap- 

 peared and settled on the deliquescent mass. Plies 

 living for about three weeks on this food died, but 

 no subsequent change occurred in their bodies. By 

 microscopical examination it was demonstrated that 

 thousands of spores clung to the feet and proboscis 

 of the flies. Their excrements consisted at lengfth 

 exclusively of spores, apparently unchanged. It was 

 clear that the flies transported the spores, but whether 

 the latter retained vitality after passing through 

 them had to be determined. To settle this question 



' Consult "The Dispersion of the Spores of Fungi by Insects," 

 by T. Wemyss Fulton, in Aiiita/s of Botany, iii.. May, 1889. 



