66 THIRTY-SECOND REPORT ON THE STATE Musrtum, 
section and in European specimens of this species, I find them intermingled 
with short, fragmentary, slender filaments, which look very much as if they 
were pedicels broken from the spores. I have not been able to find the 
spores attached terminally to them; but, in several instances, they appeared 
to be attached laterally. There also appears to be a minute point or apiculus 
on the spores, probably the point of attachment; but this is scarcely worthy 
of being called a pedicel. 
There are three principal varieties which I have referred to this species. 
The first is usually one to two inches broad, sessile, or with a very short 
stem, nearly smooth, being mealy or pruinose, and having a few minute, 
weak, scattered spinules or scales. Its color is generally whitish, or white 
slightly clouded with brown. It grows in sandy pastures and cleared lands, 
and is probably the nearest of the three in its resemblance to the type. 
The second is turbinate or subglobose, and narrowed below into a distinct, 
though short, stem-like base. It varies in diameter from half an inch to an 
inch and a half, and is thickly beset with slender bristle-like spinules which 
are often blackish, and give the plant a decidedly hairy aspect. ‘The largest 
specimens haye the spinules a little stouter, and sometimes stellately united. 
Such specimens connect this with the next variety. 
The third variety varies from one to two and a half inches in diameter, 
and is generally furnished with a short stem-like base. Its spines are 
quite coarse, and often crowded and stellately united. They give it a 
decidedly rough or echinate appearance, so that at first sight it would be 
thought a distinct species; but the spines are easily deciduous, and individ- 
uals oceur in which they are more scattered, and which have a mealy or prui- 
nose surface, by which characters this variety appears plainly to run into 
the first J] regard the second and third as worthy of a name, and designate 
and define them as follows: 
Var. hirtellum. Peridium hairy-spinulose with erect or curved sometimes 
stellately united spinules, which are often of a blackish color. 
Ground and decaying vegetable matter in woods. 
Var. stellare. Peridium echinate or stellately echinate with rather stout 
easily deciduous spines. 
Ground in woods and bushy places. 
In this species the capillitium and spores are at first greenish-yellow, olive- 
tinted or brownish ; but when fully mature they are purple-tinted, Some 
care will, therefore, be necessary, lest the last variety be confused with the 
Echinate puff-ball, L. echinatu... This variety was mentioned im the 
Twenty-second State Cabinet Report, under the name JL. ca/vescens B. & C. 
The specimens were thus referred by one of the authors of that species; but 
when the description of the species was published, the reference was found to 
be erroneous. The larger, purple-tinted, rough spores forbid such a reference, 
LYCOPERDON GLABELLUM Ps. SmootH PUFF-BALL. 
Plant subglobose or subturbinate, 8-18! broad, sometimes narrowed 
below into a stem-like base, yellow or brownish-yellow, furfuraceous with 
minute nearly uniform persistent warts ; capillitium and spores purplish-brown 
columella present ; spores rough, .0002’—.00025' in diameter. 
Ground in pine woods and bushy places. North Greenbush, Albany and 
Center. Autumn. 
The Smooth puff-ball'is not inferior in beauty to any of our species. Its 
pretty yellow color and soft, smooth appearance readily attract attention. It 
