194 Natural History Buli>etin. 



on decaying wood. For description the genus has been 

 divided into two sections according to the nature of the pileus: 



a. Pileus splitting, but fiot along the back of the lamellae, - Pellkulosi. 



b. Piieus splitting along the back of the lamellae, - - Veliformes. 



a. Pelliailosi. 



1. COPRINUS COMATUS, Fr. 



Pileus at tirst cylindric, then expanded, roughened with 

 broad, fibrous scales, the margin presently lacerate and revo- 

 lute; lamellae linear, crowded, free, white then pink, finally 

 black; stipe hollow, iibrillose, annulate with a movable ring. 



Height 6' -lo'. Pileus, unexpanded, i'-2'. Spores ellip- 

 tic, .008 X .15 mm. 



A most showy and beautiful species. Rather common in 

 September and October about hot-beds and manure heaps, or 

 even in rich soil or in grassy places along the highway. The 

 pileus is often snowy white, generally sordid or ashy. The 

 lamellae pass rapidly through a great variety of shades from 

 white through pink, "ashes of roses "to black, dissolving from 

 the reflexed margin upwards, and at length vanishing in a 

 puddle of inky fluid surprising to behold! Gregarious or sol- 

 itary, not coespitose. Edible. 



2. COPRIXUS ATRAMEXTARIUS, BuU. 



Pileus cinereous or brown, somewhat flesh}', ovate -ex- 

 panded, spotted on the disk with innate brown scales; lamellae 

 free, ventricose, tapering both ways, at first white, then pur- 

 plish-black; stipe hollow, tirm, with an evanescent annulus. 



Height 2 '-6'. Pileus ii/^'-3'. Spores elliptic, .006 x 

 .009 mm. 



Very common evervwhere in dense tufts and masses, rarely 

 solitary, of all shapes, usually rugose-plicate. Much more 

 enduring than the preceding species; appearing from May 

 until December; not edible. 



3. COPRINUS NIVEUS, Fr. 



Pileus white, sub-membranaceous, oval-campanulate, then 

 expanded, villous or floccose-scalv; lamellae narrow, crowded. 



