BERKELEY S OUTLINES OF BRITISH FUNGOLOGY. 7 



demy, observes, with reference to M. Schoenbein's views, — 1st. That 

 blue is not the only colour which the Boleti assume ; 2nclly. He asks, 

 "Why does not the change of colour take place spontaneously in the 

 plant itself, since all the elements which produce the phenomenon are 

 produced by the plant ? 3rdly. How is it that simple pressure often 

 produces the same effect as rupture ? And, 4thly, Why do not all Boleti 

 change colour in the same manner? Mons. Kiekz suggests a scheme 

 of inquiry with the view of more fully determining the question.* He 

 considers that, before the point can be looked upon as settled, it will be 

 necessary that the anatomical structure and chemical composition of the 

 Boleti which change colour, should be examined and compared with the 

 structure of those which do not change, and that this comparison 

 should be made at different periods of the growth of each species ; that 

 care must be taken to observe the difference of colour of the flesh of 

 the pileus and of the hymenium in the same species, and to ascertain in 

 which organs the colouring matter resides ; that inquiry must be made 

 whether similar colouring matter exists in other Fungi in which simi- 

 lar changes have been observed, and whether any relation subsists 

 between the change of colour which takes place in the Boleti and that 

 which has been observed to occur in the milk of certain Lactarii. This 

 inquiry is, doubtless, sufficiently extensive: if any mycologist should 

 be willing to undertake it, we believe the prize of the Belgian Academy 

 is still open. It has been suggested that the colouring matter consists 

 of aniline, and this idea has been brought forward again in the " Comptes 

 Rendus" (16th July,1860(, where M. Phipson remarks : — 



" The colouring matter which exists in these Boleti in a colourless state is soluble In 

 alcohol, not easily miscible with water, and becomes resinous in the atmosphere. It 

 possesses the properties of aniline, and, under the action of oxydizing agents, produces 

 the same colours as aniline and its saline compounds." 



M. Jlartensf has objected that the matter is not likely to be ani- 

 line, because aniline, he says, has not been found in any vegetable, 

 forgetting apparently that it exists largely in Indigo. 



Amongst the different divisions of Fungi, of which a concise general 

 account is given in the work before us, reference is made to a very re- 

 markable group (the Myxogastres), to which considerable biological 

 interest attaches — an interest, moreover, in which the zoologist and 

 the botanist are equally concerned. The peculiarities of the group are 

 very great, as will be seen by the following extract: — 



" A lariie group of Fungi, containing multitudes of the most exquisite microscopic 

 objects, is distinguished by the early condition being creamy or mucilaginous. They 

 differ in many respects from other Fungi, and especially because they seem often quite 

 independent of the substance on which they are developed. One species, for instance, 

 was discovered by Schweinitz, in America, growing on iron which had been red-hot only 



* See " Bulletins de 1' Acad. Roy. de Belgique," 2nd Ser , vol. viii., p. 365. 

 f See "Bull, de l'Acad. Roy. de Belgique," 2nd Ser., vol. viii., p. 372. 



