18 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[January, 



Natural History and Science. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



CURIOUS CAROLINA FUNCI. 



BY H. W. RAVENEL, AIKEN, S. C. 



In 5^our December number is a notice of two 

 fungi, by Mrs. D. W., of Summerville, S. C, 

 which, from her description, it is not difficult to 

 identify. The first is undoubtedly Clathnes 

 columnatus, not at all uncommon in cultivated ! 

 lands in "Winter. It grows just under the ■ 

 ground, and when it has attained its full growth 

 in that stage, is about the size and shape of a 

 hen's egg, and of a dirty white color. On cut- 

 ting it open the ball discloses a jelly-like bag, 

 in which is seen the scarlet fungus, very much 

 compressed. As the plant matures, which would 

 be in a day or two more, the sac or volva is rup- ' 

 tured, and the scarlet fungus expands or grows 

 upwards to about two to three inches high, 

 the sac remains in the ground. It is then a : 

 three-columned arch — the columns of bright 

 scarlet, shading off to white where it remains in j 

 the sac. On the under side of this arch is an i 

 olive colored mucus, from which proceeds the ' 

 fetid stench. Flesh flies devour this fetid mucus 

 greedily. Another nearly related fungus is 

 Phallus, which perhaps is even more decided in 

 its odoriferous qualiiies than its cousin Clathnes. 

 The genus Phallus, comprises several species, 

 and grows up also from a jelly sac or volva, in a 

 single straight column from six to eight inches 

 high,, some red, others white or salmon color, 

 and capped by an olive-colored mucus. This 

 whole family of Clathnes and Phallus is known 

 in the vernacular as "Devil's breath," which 

 name feebly expresses their peculiar gifts. The 

 ■other thing mentioned by Mrs. D. W. as grow- 

 ing in clusters, with caps like "bells pendant," 

 is probably Coprinus cematus. We have sev- 

 eral species of Coprinus, but this is the largest 

 and prettiest. I have seen them eight to ten 

 inches high, with their fawn colored, bell-shaped 

 caps four to five inches long. Like all others of 

 this genus, it begins soon to deliquesce after sun 

 rise, and in a few hours there is nothing left of 

 the caps but a few blackened shreds remaining 

 attached to the top of the stem. 



THE PEAR-LEAF BLISTER. 



BY PROF. T. J. BURRILL, CHAMPAIGN, ILLS. 



The following excellent exposition of this dis- 

 ease was recently made before the Illinois State 

 Horticultural Society. 



A wide-spread disease of pear-leaves in this 

 country and in Europe is caused by a mite to 

 which Schenten, a German naturalist, gave the 

 name Typhlodromus pyri. This was twenty-one 

 years ago. Ignorant of this information, the 

 writer during the last season rediscovered the 

 cause of the disease, and, it is believed, first an- 

 nounced its occurrence in our country. There is 

 scarcely a question as to the identity of the dis- 

 ease and its cause on the opposite sides of the 

 Atlantic, and granting this identity, we may con- 

 clude that it is another one of the horticultural 

 scourges that have been imported from across the 

 water, for which we have returned the phyllox- 

 era and possibly shall send over the Colorado 

 potato-beetle. N'othing of the life-history of this 

 pear-leaf mite has heretofore been published, ex- 

 cept the discussions which have arisen as to 

 whether the form usually found is a young or 

 mature animal. It has but four feet, while most 

 mites have eight. But the young larvge of others 

 have six, as far as made out. Is this an excep- 

 tion ? Schenten called this a larva, and Doctor 

 Packard, in the Guide to the Study of Insects, 

 adopts the idea. According to the former, the 

 mature form has eight legs and widely different 

 mouth-parts, but the only proof of the genetic 

 connection of the two is that they were found as- 

 sociated. As this eight-legged form certainly 

 belongs to a group whose members are mostly 

 parasitic in other insects it is probable that if 

 any relation exists between the two kinds it is 

 of this nature. But having found the mite in its 

 autumn and winter condition, I am able to add 

 an item to the controversy opposed to the change 

 of form indicated. And this last discovery, 

 carrying with it the possible basis for a remedy, 

 is my excuse for introducing this account. 



When young leaves appear in the spring or 

 during the summer, reddish spots an eighth of an 

 inch or more are seen scattered more or less 

 numerously over their surface, especially con- 



