COPRINUS COMATUS i6i 



which, as space-making agents, keep adjacent basidia separated by 

 just such spaces as are required to prevent the spores from jostling. 

 The partial overstanding of the spores of the second generation by 

 those of the first can be observed in several places, notably at o. 

 A subhymenium of smaller, shorter, oval cells is more or less differ- 

 entiated from the trama, which is made up of relatively long and 

 swollen cells. There is no difference in the size of the spores of the 

 two generations or in the appearance of their sterigmata. 



Now that it has been demonstrated that there are two generations 

 of basidia in the hymenium of Coprinus comatus, the exact manner 

 of spore- discharge in the zone of spore-discharge which moves from 

 below upwards on each gill requires further elucidation. If, in the 

 zone of spore- discharge, the spores of the short basidia were to be 

 shot away before the spores of the adjacent long basidia, it is clear 

 that the former would often strike against the latter, and confusion 

 would result. As a matter of fact, however, this order is reversed : 

 in any small area of the hymenium (0-1 square mm.) the spores of 

 the long basidia are shot away just before those of the short basidia. 

 This refinement of organisation, which can only be mentioned here, 

 will be dealt with more fully in the next Chapter which contains a 

 description of Coprinus sterquilinus. 



Tramal Capillarity and the Fate of the Fluid liberated by Auto- 

 digestion. — With a view to elucidating the fate of the fluid produced 

 by the autodigestion of the gills from below upwards, a series of 

 experiments was made on Coprinus comatus fruit-bodies in which 

 the pileus was either (1) about to expand, the gills being white or 

 blackening from below upwards, or (2) already somewhat expanded 

 and campanulate, as shown in Fig. 64, autodigestion being in 

 progress in the lower parts of the gills, and the upper parts of the 

 gills being locked together by their flanged edges. 



Drops of water and of red ink were placed on : (1) the scales of 

 the pileus, (2) the outer surface of the pileus-flesh, and (3) the hy- 

 menial surface of a number of gills. The drops were not absorbed 

 by the underlying tissues. 



Drops of water and of red ink were placed on : (1) the white or 



pinkish flange of a single gill, (2) the white or pinkish gill-flange 



sheath composed of a number of gill-flanges united together 

 VOL. m. M 



