TAB. CCCLVI. 



SPHtERIA aurea. 





i HE remarkable appearance which this fungus oc- 

 cafions on the dead branches of the willow, cannot but 

 be admired. The Rev. Mr. Relhan of Cambridge firit 

 fent it me in the fpring of 1801, under the name of 

 Spbaria aurea. The Rev. Mr. Holme has fince com- 

 municated a fpecimen on the Salix cinerea from Hinton 

 near Cambridge, Nov. j, 1801 ; and the Rev. Mr. 

 Kirby of Barham, Suffolk, favoured me with fpecimens 

 on the leaves of Salix caprea^ Nov. 30, iSoi, too late to 

 make any addition to my figure. The yellow margin 

 is a curious effect caufed by the growth of the fungus ; 

 and even the fungus itfelf feems chiefly compofed of 

 the bark, which is changed into a fliining black, cover- 

 ing a quantity of black powder, but not very regularly; 

 and when old the cuticle burfts irregularly, often on 

 one fide, emitting the duft. There is more or lefs of a 

 white fubflance below the powder. It feems to laft a 

 year from the firfl breaking out, exhibiting the yellow 

 margin moft vivid in fpring, the black powder in 

 autumn. 



TAB. CCCLVI I. 



SPH^ERLl STEECORARIA. 



IHIS was given me by Dawfon Turner, Efq. found 

 near Yarmouth, and is one of thofe that upon minute 

 examination Ihows the white powder enclofed in the 

 circumference which feems analogous to pollen, and 

 the black powder in the middle to feed. The mouth at 

 the top may fometimes be feen with the black powder 

 edged by the brown cafe that holds it ; the next two 

 circles being formed by the white powder ; and the 

 outer cafe, which feems partly covered by a roughilli 

 clothing, adhering to the l^raws, &c. Another fpecies 

 I have obferved is either in a lefs perfedt ftate, or of a 

 more fimple conflrudion, with a more acuminated 

 mouth, and a fnigle black cafe with or without black 

 powder. I propofe to call it Spbaria folitaria. It grows 

 on the earth. See the lower figure. 



