267 



duced the light would be in perfection, whereas at other seasons the mycelium 

 alone would be present, which is not easy of identification without the perfect 

 plant. 



The species of fungi which have been proved on the most reliable evidence 

 to have shown luminosity, are the following : — 



Agaricus olearius, D.C. 

 Agaricus igncus, Rumph. 

 Agaricus noctilucens, L^v. 

 Agaricus Gardneri, Berk. 

 Agaricus lampas. Berk. 

 Agaricus Emerici, Berk. 

 Polyporus annosus. Ft. 



Europe 

 Amboine 

 Manilla 

 Brazil 

 Australia 

 Andaman Islands 

 Europe 



Polyporus suphureus, Ft. - - - Europe 



Didymium, Sp? - - - - Jamaica 



Species reputed to be luminous, but about which there is room for doubt, 



are the following : — 



Agaricus fascicularis, Huds. - - Europe 



Corticium Cceruleum, Schrad. - - Europe 



Corticium lacteum, F. - - ■ Europe 



Cladosporium umbrinum, Lin. 



To these should be added Rhizomorpha, which is no longer regarded as a perfect 



fungus, but as the mycelium of, probably, Xylaria hypoxylon, Grev., found very 



commonly on decayed stumps. 



The British species amongst those named are Agaricus fascicularis, which 

 is doubtful, but being one of the commonest of common fungi on old decaying 

 stumps in the autumn, ought not to remain in the doubtful list ; Polyporus an- 

 nosus, also on decaying stumps, and less common than the last, — affirmed to be 

 luminous by Mr. Worthington Smith ; Corticium cceruleum not unfrequent on 

 much decayed timber, recognised as luminous by many of the older mycologists, 

 and figured by Sowerby, plate 350, under the name of Auricularia phosphorea ; 

 Corticium lacteum, under its old name of Simantia Candida, said to be lumi- 

 nous ; and Rhizomorpha, whatever it may be the mycelial stage of, which is un- 

 doubtedly luminous at times. 



It is not my purpose to describe the curious appearances presented by the 

 phosphorescent light emitted by fungi, or their mycelium, in rotten wood, this 

 having been done by Dr. Cooke in his recently published book "Fungi: their 

 Nature and Uses," where many interesting facts have been collected from many 

 sources, but to propose a few questions which at present remain unanswered. 



1st. — To what particular species of fungus or fungi is the phosphorescence 

 of decaying wood to be attributed ? 



I assume that it is from the presence of some kind of mycelium, but it has 

 always appeared to me very difficult to determine to what species the mycelium 

 belonged. So far as my own observations have gone, I am ready to confess I have 



