Fungus Food of certain Termites 143 



together with mycelium and in the course of a few hours longish 

 white spheres or buttons, as the initial stages of agarics are 

 usually termed, developed upon the upper surface of the carpet. 

 These were about 2 mm. in diameter, flattened at the base and 

 slightly pointed at the apex. A small quantity of the material 

 was wrapped in paper and when opened out about thirty-six 

 hours later, it was found that some of these spheres had developed 

 into small white agarics, described as follows: — 

 Pileus — 4-8 mm. diameter, white, conical (expanded when kept 



in moist chamber) umbonate, splitting at the margin. 

 Gills — white, free, edge wavy towards stipe. 

 Spores — subglobose, slightly angular 3-4 p diameter. 

 Stipe — solid, white, smooth, equal except at base where 

 slightly bulbous, 1.5 - 2.5 cm. long, 1-1.5 mm. diam. 



The plants occurred singly, and were apparently short-lived, 

 soon shrivelling up and becoming a yellowish or dirty white 

 colour, but reviving rapidly again in water. 



On comparing the above description with that of Fetch's 

 Entoloma microcarpum, it will be found that the two fungi re- 

 semble each other in many points, but whether the two are 

 identical will have to be decided when more material is available 

 and further investigation undertaken. Our collection of fruit- 

 ing bodies developed under rather abnormal conditions and it 

 will be necessary to examine further specimens before the 

 identity of the fungus can be established. The chief points in 

 which the two agarics seem to differ are as follows: — In E. 

 microcarpum the pileus is livid gray, darker towards the umbo, 

 it varies in size from 1.75 to 5 cm. in diameter, and becomes 

 expanded when mature, whereas that of our agaric is pure white^ 

 when fresh, the maximum size of its diameter is only 8 mm. 

 and it becomes expanded only when kept in a moist chamber. 

 Again the spores of E. microcarpum differ from those of the 

 other, being larger in size, 5-7 x 3-4 p instead of 3-4 p % 

 and elliptic with a sub-lateral apiculus instead of subglobose and 

 slightly angular. With regard to the colour of the spores on 

 which the identity of the fungus depends a spore print was un- 

 fortunately not taken so that this point remains to be cleared up. 



