Norih .hm-ricaii /■'lo/j^i. 143 



I. C. ciKCiMSCissiM, B. <S: C. Pcridiiiin subglobose, 

 more or less depressed, and often quite irrej^ular ; cortex 

 thickish, fragile, usually rough and uneven from the adhering 

 soil, after niaturit>- torn away, leaving the lower two-thirds or 

 more in the ground; inner peridiuni depressed - globose, 

 subcoriaceous, rather thin, pallid, becoming gra}-, minutely 

 furfuraceous, with a small regular basal mouth. Mass of 

 spores and capillitium soft, compact, then friable, olivaceous, 

 changing to pale brown ; the pieces of the threads short, un- 

 equal in length, flexuous, hyaline, 3-4 mic. in thickness ; 

 spores globose, minutely warted, 4-5 mic. in diameter, often 

 with a minute pedicel. vSee Plate V., Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. 



Growing in heavy clay soil in old lanes and pastures, 

 especially along the hard-trodden paths. Maine, Blake ; 

 Ohio, Morgan; Kansas, A'el/cniiaii : Nebraska, Webber. 

 Inner peridium Yi-yi of an inch in diameter. This is Bovista 

 circiunscissa, B. & C, of Berkeley's Notices of N. A. Fungi. 

 It grows in great abundance wnth us some seasons, right in 

 the hard-trodden barnyard, and along the lane to the cattle 

 pasture. Araclnuon album, Schw., usually keeps it company. 



2. C. SUBTERRANEUM, Peek. Peridium subglobose, often 

 irregular ; cortex thickly incrusted and browned by the ad- 

 herent soil, fragile, after maturity torn asunder, leaving much 

 the greater portion in the ground; inner peridium subglobose, 

 somewhat irregular, subcoriaceous, thickish, smooth, whitish, 

 becoming brown, dehiscent within the base by an irregular 

 lacerate aperture. Mass of spores and capillitium soft, com- 

 pact, then friable, olivaceous, changing to brown ; the pieces 

 of the threads short, unequal in length, flexuous, hyaline, 

 3-4 mic. in thickness; spores globose, distinctly warted, 6-8 

 mic. in diameter, sessile. 



Growing in thick grass in sandy soil. Wisconsin, Trelease; 

 Dakota, Irish ; Colorado. Webber. Inner peridium J/^-i inch 

 in diameter. This is Bovista sublerranea, Peck, Botanical 

 Gazette, Vol. I\'., p. 216. It is readily distinguished from the 

 preceding species by its much larger spores, more distinctly 

 warted. 



3. C. PEDicELLATUM, Morg. n. sp. Peridium subglobose, 

 more or less irregular; cortex rather thin, incrusted with 

 soil, fragile, after maturity- torn away, leaving the greater part 

 or sometimes the whole in the ground ; inner peridium 



