5° 



NATURAL HISTORY BULLETIN. 



place. The surface is like that of L. molle though more 

 delicately roughened. The globose form will distinguish it 

 from any other species in this list except the next; L. fieckii 

 exhibits converging spines. 



10. Lvcoperdon peckii Morgan. 



Sporocarp small *_> i inch in diameter, clustered or solitary; 

 depressed globose with a short stem-like base, mycelium- 

 attached; outer peridium of short, close-set spines clustered 

 and convergent at the apex, long persistent but at length 

 deciduous; inner peridium smooth, fragile especially above; 

 gleba at first olivaceous yellow, then brownish; sub-gleba 

 coarsely cellular and concolorous; capillitial threads about 

 equalling the spores, with few branches; spores globose, 

 warted, 4.5 /i. 



This is a common little species on the ground in thinly cov- 

 ered meadows, pastures, etc. It seems to affect our loess (clay) 

 soils. We have never seen it anywhere else nor growing on 

 good soil. The spore-mass in some of its transitional shades 

 might be called purple and would suggest with the warted 

 surface small specimens of JL. j>ulcherrimum from which spe- 

 cies the smaller shorter spines readily distinguish it. 



III. BO VI ST A Pas. 



Sporocarp globose sessile, without columella or sterile sub- 

 gleba; peridium double, the outer almost completely decidu- 

 ous; capillitium threads distinct, separable, each consisting of a 

 short thick, stem-like portion which branches more or less 

 regularly dichotomously, the ultimate branches acuminate. 



This genus is sharply distinguished from Lycopcrdon by 

 the character of the peridia as well as by the capillitium. The 

 number of species is small; in Iowa not more than two, so 

 far reported, but these are exceedingly common. 



1. Bovista pila B. & C. 



Sporocarp globose or depressed, sessile, attached by a cord- 

 like mycelial strand; outer peridium thin, white, at length 



