ASCOPHANUS 119 



at first grayish or cinereous, but at maturity darker and appearing 

 almost black and so closely resembling the substratum in color 

 that they are detected with difficulty, reaching an extreme 

 diameter of 2 mm.; hymenium becoming plane, finally strongly 

 convex, roughened by the protruding asci, often surrounded by a 

 slightly elevated margin ; excipular cells rounded or angular, the 

 walls smoky-brown, variable in size but reaching a diameter of 

 12-15 M, giving rise above to a palisade of mycelium, the ends 

 of which are enlarged, reaching a diameter of 1 5-1 7 m, the palisade 

 mycelium often appearing as rudimentary hairs; asci clavate, 

 gradually tapering below into a stem-like base, with an abrupt 

 swelling at the extreme base, reaching a length of 250-300 m 

 partly due to stretching at maturity and a diameter of 15-17 /x; 

 spores at first 1 -seriate, finally becoming partially to entirely 

 2-seriate, each spore surrounded by a granular protoplasm which 

 sometimes collects about the outer surface, so as to give them a 

 roughened appearance, ellipsoid, with the ends strongly narrowed, 

 perfectly hyaline, 10-12 X 20-24 /x; paraphyses very slender, 

 about 1.3 m thick, rather strongly enlarged above, where they 

 reach a diameter of 4 m, smoky-brown above, hyaline below. 



On excrement of horses. 



Type locality: Europe. 



Distribution: New York to Colorado; also in Europe. 



Illustrations: Ann. Sci. Nat. IV. 10: pi. 13, f. D; Ann. 

 Sci. Nat. V. 10: pi. 11, f. 37; Bull. Lab. Nat. Hist. State Univ. 

 Iowa6:p/. 2<S\/. i;Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. III. 15:/?/. 17, J. 30. 



15. Ascophanus tetraonalis Peck, Bull. N. Y. State Mus. 2: 



22. 1887. 

 Peziza tetraonalis Peck, Ann. Rep. N. Y. State Mus. 32: 46. 1879. 



Apothecia sessile, externally cinereous, the margin often 

 wavy or flexuous, reaching a diameter of 1-3 mm.; hymenium 

 blackish or blackish-brown ; asci cylindric, truncate at the apex, 

 8-spored; spores 1-seriate, ellipsoid, smooth, colorless, reaching 

 a length of 7-8 X 15-17 p.; paraphyses filiform, slightly enlarged 

 above. 



On the excrement of partridge or grouse. 



Type locality: Catskill Mountains. 



Distribution: Known only from the type locality. 



