104 /ournal of Mycology [Vol. 13 



any of the Phalloids, altho it is well known that various species 

 of flies (Miiscidae) eagerly suck the syrupy mass of spores as 

 the gleba deliquesces — by this means the wider distribution of the 

 spores is accomplished ; while the passage through the digestive 

 tube of the fly may aid in the germination of the spores. A 

 microscopic examination of the excreta from the flies that are 

 feeding on the deliquescent gleba shows it to be composed largely 

 of spores, apparently unharmed. This syrupy mass acts on them 

 like a dose of salts, producing a kind of diarrhoea. 



A third insect was found feeding on all the Phalloids except 

 Simhlnm- tcxcnse — a species of dung beetle or "tumble bug" 

 (Geotrupes opacus Hald.), The beetles first attack the stipe. 

 One was found on the stipe of Phallus impudicus eating a circle 

 around it, thereby cutting it down ; its mate was at the base of 

 the plant, busily engaged in digging a hole in the ground ; when 

 the stipe fell both beetles attacked it. 



This species of dung beetle apparently makes no balls but 

 digs holes under the mass of dung on which they may be feed- 

 ing. It is interesting to note that the same process was followed 

 while feeding on the Phalloids. They eat the stipe down to the 

 ground but do not attack the volva ; the entire stipe and cap 

 was often devoured so that nothing was left but the stump of 

 the stipe in the volva and the numerous holes that the beetles 

 had dug near by. I found specimens of Phallus rubicundus, 

 Phallus impudicus, Mutinus caninus, and Sinihlum sphaeroce- 

 phalum, all attacked and eaten by this beetle, but strange to 

 say, not one plant of the many specirriens found of Simblum 

 texcnse was eaten — probably because this plant has not the foetid 

 odour so characteristic of this group. 



At one time I had about one hundred and fifty to two hund- 

 red eggs of the various species of Phalloids in my "incubator" 

 and during the course of their expansion it was noticed that 

 cold had a marked eflPect on the elongation of the stipe — in 

 all cases checking it ; and when the thermometer was below or 

 near freezing point stopping all elongation. This was so marked 

 that I had to resort to artificial heat to get some of my eggs 

 to expand. This indicates that the elongation of the stipe or 

 receptaculum is a growth process as advanced by Errera and 

 Burt. The large number of eggs of the various species of Phal- 

 laids that T collected, together with the cool weather during 

 November, forced me to devise some means whereby I could 

 with little trouble hatch them, as there was no hot house con- 

 venient. At first, T used with fairly good success the following 

 plan. I took a pine box one and a half to two feet deep and 

 covered the bottom with clean white sand to the depth of eight 

 to ten inches. The eggs were then washed and wrapped with 

 tissue paper, leaving only the upper part free ; they were then 

 put into holes in the sand with only the upper and free surface 



