240 NATURAL HISTORY BULLETIN. 



commonly found on old sacking, probably on account of the 

 material of which the sacking is made. This species has 

 been described by many authors as occurring on this kind of 

 habitat; and for this reason, during the spring of 1903 an old 

 sack found in a damp place among weeds at Lafayette, Indiana, 

 was examined for the purpose of finding this particular 

 species. It was found to be covered in places with the beau- 

 tiful, pale red plants. Specimens of this material after being 

 kept dry for several months were placed ir a moist chamber 

 and resumed growth. Other pieces of sacking were inocu- 

 lated from this and produced mature plants in a few weeks. 

 Specimens of the same plant have been found in smaller 

 quantities in this state growing on old rag carpet. 



Several genera, including the one just mentioned, are 

 usually found on the dung of different animals. These 

 genera belong to the family Ascobolacctr. Nearly all of the 

 plants described here belonging to this family have been 

 grown on such materials in the laboratory. Fresh material 

 may be used but in most cases the material used was that 

 obtained outside and which had stood in the open field for 

 some time. This material would be crowded with spores 

 and spawn of various kinds. 



Several different species were grown on the same sub- 

 stratum but generally appear at different times. In several 

 cases the same specimen has been grown on different kinds of 

 dung but in many cases the plants seem best adapted or 

 restricted to one particular habitat, so that knowing this, we 

 may predict the species likely to appear. 



One species Ascobohis atro-fuscus (P. & P.) PI. XV, Fig. 

 1, is commonly found on burnt ground and charcoal, but as a 

 group the Ascobolacece are dung-inhabiting plants. 



Those specimens which were grown in the laboratory and 

 the kind of material on which they were grown is indicated 

 in the descriptions and need not be repeated here. 



The history of the study of the discomycetes extends back 



