about it, as I do not now think it belongs to Boletus hybridus, 

 " promoting putrefaction, dissolving and destroying the hard- 

 est wood." Linn, but as probably Byssus septica, which is 

 promoted by putrefaction, and caused by rotten hoops on 

 pipes of Avinc, &c. and is never white or like Dillenius, tab. 1, 

 fig. 9. Witlicring's variety 2 is distinct, and the proper 

 species growing on wine casks, and the hoops, &c. in wine 

 cellars, as well as in ale and beer cellars. 



It is apparently composed of minute fibres, closely matted 

 together, and partly covered with fine dust, and grows in 

 masses of the size of a pea, an acorn, a walnut, or spreading, 

 and is in cellars or vaults, attached to the sides and cielings, 

 hanging in large accumulated masses of several feet wide; 

 scopiform, clawed, fingered, and in inosculating or fanciful 

 shapes. It is very tender, burns Avhen dry like touchwood. 

 It is of a greenish brown when small, and blacker when older 

 and more massive. The smaller lumps, if thrown when 

 fresh against any thing, stick to it. 



t^i t^^ t^% <-^. '-^^ *-^^ 



TAB. CCCCXXXIII. 



FIBRILLARIA pulverulenta. 



X HIS was found three feet under ground, on rotten wood, 

 near Reading in Berks, in April, 1809; it appears more 

 compact than the last, more powdery, and of a rather redder 

 brown ; otherwise the fibres, when magnified, scarcely differ 

 from it. 



TAB. CCCCXXXIV. 



FIBRILLARIA corticina. 



X HIS I have found on the inner and outer sides of the bark 

 of trees, covering it in wide, black, fibrous, cloth-like patches, 

 the sixth of an inch thick. Sphseria bombardica, tab. 372, 

 fig. 4, often accompanies it on the outside of the bark. 

 Kensington Gardens, Hornsey Wood, &c. in autumn. 



t^^ t^^ '-(^ '-n^ ^-iPt 'y^ 



TAB. G C C C X XXV. 



TRICHIA METEORICA. 



TREMELLA METEORICA. Lwn. Gmel. 2. 14.4:6. Fersoon. 



The utility of figuring this under this title will be obvious, 

 seeing the nature of the substance, and how it has misled, 

 and still may mislead, and that it may be the means of coming 

 to a more perfect knowledge of it. There are various Genera 

 among the Cryptogamia which have a mucilaginous and tre- 

 mulous beginning, very different from tlieir more advanced 

 and latter state, and these when gathered in their young 

 state dry and become of a horny texture as gelatinous sub- 

 stances do, but when suffered to arrive at maturity, not only 



