COPRINUS COMATUS 



l-^ 



together to form a hyphal string attached to the pileus-flesh above 



and the soUd base of the stipe below. As the stipe continues to 



grow in length, the hyphal 



string is drawn out until it 



breaks. The hyphal string 



in the stipe of G. sterqui- 



linus, a species closely allied 



to C. comatus, is illustrated 



in Volume III, Fig. 73 (p. 



184). 



A Further Remark on 

 the Pileus-flesh of Coprinus 

 comatus. — In the fruit-body 

 of Coprinus comatus shown 

 in Fig. 46 it may be noticed 

 how well-developed the gills 

 are relatively to the pileus- 

 flesh. No agaric of the 

 Non-Coprinus Type shows 

 so little flesh in combin- 

 ation with such long gills. 

 As the pileus of such a 

 fruit-body as that shown 

 in Fig. 46 expands, the gills, 

 owing to the flesh growing 

 radially more below than 

 above, are gradually turned 

 outwards and upwards 

 through a right angle. It 

 would be mechanically im- 

 possible for so small an 

 amount of flesh to accom- 

 phsh this task were it not 

 for the fact that, as the 

 turning process takes place, 

 owing to the autodigestion 

 of the gills from below upwards the burden to be hfted becomes 

 progressively lighter. 



Vn:. 4G. — Coprinus comutu.s. \'ertical section 

 through a fruit-body, to show the soft 

 hyphal string which extends from the top 

 to the bottom of the stipe down the centre 

 of the cavity. The gills are still white as 

 the spores have not yet ripened. Photo- 

 graphed at Winnipeg, 1912. Natural size. 



