124 The Field Naturalist' s Quarterly May 



The type has the cap brownish, whereas the variety is tawny 

 in colour and has a tomentose stem. M. data and conica are 

 both characterised by longitudinal ribs, but the stem is fur- 

 furaceous in elata, and only minutely villose in conica, which 

 is a smaller plant. Mitrophora has three species : gigas, 

 which is distinguished by its large pruinose stem ; semilibera 

 by its smaller, nearly even, stem ; and rinwsipes by its longi- 

 tudinally grooved or striate stem. Gyromitra esculenta is of 

 a brown colour, whereas G. gigas is much paler and larger 

 in size, and has the ascospores subfusiform as contrasted 

 with the elliptic shape of those of esculenta. 



In early spring the eye is often arrested by the pretty 

 blood-red discs of Geopyxis coccinea. It grows on twigs and 

 sticks, and the exterior of the cup and stem is clothed with 

 a white tomentum. This is sometimes sold in the markets, 

 and makes a very pretty decoration for the table when mixed 

 with moss. It is erroneously called "king cups" in some 

 localities, and I have met two or three persons who persisted 

 in avowing that they were Jew's-ears. 



The true Jew's-ear {Hirneola auricula- J udce) is at its prime 

 in the spring, and is generally to be found on any fair-sized 

 elder-bushes. It is of a cartilagineo-gelatinous consistency, 

 and the dark-brown spore-bearing surface is much wrinkled 

 and folded, and in many cases resembles an ear, whilst the 

 exterior is of a greyish-olive colour and minutely tomentose. 



Next we shall probably meet with some of the larger 

 PezizcB, a group that bears its ascospores in cuplike or 

 rather saucer-shaped receptacles. Amongst these may be 

 mentioned Peziza venosa and P. reticulata, both of which are 

 characterised by the presence of a strong nitrous odour ; but 

 in the former the ascospore-bearing surface — that is, the 

 interior of the cup — is umber brown, whereas in the latter 

 it is fulvo-rufescent. 



In late spring (June) I have gathered Sepultaria coronaria 

 in great quantities under beeches. It appears at first almost 

 like a puff-ball, but it soon splits into a number of segments, 

 and discloses the interior of the ball, which is at first pale 

 and then becomes somewhat purplish. It is a delicious 

 esculent, very delicate in flavour, and only requires ten 

 minutes' cooking. 



