COPRINUS STERQUILINUS 



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Fig. 95. — Coprinus sterquilinus. A diagram illustrating the maimer in which a spore is discharged from its 

 sterigma, falls through the air, settles on grass, etc., contracts on drying, and adheres to its substratum. 

 A, the last spore of a basidium, about to be shot away from its sterigma. A drop of water is being excreted from 

 the spore-hilum. On the more rounded side of the spore, away from the axis of the basidium, is a colourless 

 wall-meniscus, a. B, the spore has just been shot away from its sterigma and, together with the adherent 

 water-drop, is travelling horizontally in the direction shown by the arrow. 0, the spore falling vertically 

 downwards, as indicated by the arrow, in still, relatively moist air : the water-drop, the spore-hilum, and the 

 flatter side of the spore are directed upwards, and the more roimded side of the spore, covered with its colourless 

 wall-meniscus, is directed downwards. D, the spore still falling through the air : the w ater-drop has evaporated. 

 E, the spore, still turgid and uncontracted, has just settled on a glass slide : the colourless wall-meniscus 

 has come into contact with the surface of the glass. F, the spore after drying up : it is now boat-shaped, 

 owing to the sinking inwards of its upper flatter side, and it is tightly attached to its substratum by its adhesive 

 colourless waU-meniscus. G — K, a spore which becomes boat-shaped before settling. Q, a spore, after being 

 shot from its sterigma (as at A and B) has turned over (as at C) so that the water-drop, spore-hilum, and the 

 flatter side of the spore are directed upwards and the more rounded side of the spores, covered with its colourless 

 wall-meniscus, is directed downwards. H, I, J : the spore, still falling through the air, has lost its water-drop 

 by evaporation and is drying and becoming boatrshaped. K, the boat-shaped spore has settled on a glass 

 slide placed six feet below the pileus from which it was liberated, and it has now dried up : it is adhering to the 

 surface of the glass by its colourless wall-meniscus. L, a vertical section through a dried boat-shaped spore 

 such as those seen at F and K. M, three spores which settled upon, and became attached to, a dry glass 

 slide, seen from above : they are now boat-shaped, the hollow of each boat facing the observer (c/. L). N, the 

 same piece of glass slide after the three spores at M had been dislodged by pressing against them with the point 

 of a dry needle : each spore has left behind a small piece of the colourless adhesive wall-meniscus attached 

 to the surface of the glass. The wall-meniscus, except in N, has hitherto been observed only on spores 

 immersed in water ; but, since it exists, it has been shown attached to the spores in A — K, although these spores 

 are represented as being in the air. Magnification, 351. 



