l62 NATURE STUDY. 



years, seems somewhat remarkable, though by no means 

 unprecedented. 



A hospitable^ neighbor nllowed the passers-by to " keep 

 tabs ' ' on the group of mushrooms that bravely made its 

 wa}^ to the front during the severely cold days of January ; 

 it was photographed just as it 'stood above the concrete in 

 his cellar. The larger cluster appeared first and bore yet 

 another of greater size than those which are seen in the 

 cut ; later, the second break occurred and the mushroom 

 is seen in the button stage. 



This mushroom was of the gilled variety and belonged 

 to the Melanosporoae or black-spored mushrooms, and I be- 

 lieved it to be the common genus Coprinus, though through 

 delay in examination the species has not been ascertained. 

 After maturity the caps partially dried and cracked open, 

 and some of them passed into the inky liquid state so fa- 

 miliar to those who have gathered Coprinus. A part of 

 the mushrooms were prepared and eaten and were said to 

 be palatable and to possess the usual flavor of Coprinus. 



lyong ago, Darwin carefully demonstrated power of move- 

 ment in plants, and Nature affords innumerable examples 

 of the silent force and energy which are' made manifest in 

 the vegetable world ; an invisible kind of " horse-power," 

 that has not been bridled by the Yankee inventor for eco- 

 nomic uses or to send him spinning through air and wa- 

 ter with the speed of steam and electricity ; but stern grav- 

 el-beds, ledges and artificial barriers are pushed aside or 

 gradually lifted by the steady, impelling force from be- 

 neath. 



Of course, we do not know how much frost action or 

 other weathering agent may have aided in opening the 

 first crack for the plant to wedge its tiny finger in. Some 

 years ago, in this city, the pipe which conveyed water to 

 a fountain on one of the main streets became clogged ; lit- 

 tle water reached the fountain, while the spring at the 



