THE GENUS ASCOBOLUS. 147 
thick as one’s little finger, with large leaves (£ of an inch broad) and 
branches as thick as the ordinary stems. 
One of the most common plants found in the extreme north-west 
islands, and on the highest mountains, as far as vegetation is possible. 
Blooming branchlets were seen at Treurenburg Bay, in the end of 
June and throughout the summer. 
(The remainder in our next number.) 
THE GENUS ASCOBOLUS, 
WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE BRITISH SPECIES. 
By M. C. Cooxz. 
This genus has of late received so many additions, that it becomes 
numerically important, and through the successful investigations of 
Messrs. Broome and Currey, of breed interest to the British 
mycologist. In Fries’s Syst. Myc. only 11 species are enumerated, 
whilst the present number is not less than 34. For the species added 
since the publication of Fries’s work, we are indebted to the Rev. 
M. J. Berkeley for 1, to Beccari for 1, to Preuss for 2, to Mr. Currey 
for 3, and to the brothers Crouan for 14. 
According to our present knowledge, the genus would appear to be 
essentially European, one m only (A. furfuraceus, P.) having been 
recorde g beyond this limit, viz. in Chili, and that one of the 
most common of European forms. In Europe the species seem to be 
confined to the countries of the west; all those discovered by the 
Messrs. Crouan having been found near Brest, and 4 others of the 
new species in Great Britain. Of the 34 species, 16 are British, and 
3 of these are at present peculiar to the United Kingdom, whilst 13 
are found also on the Continent. These remarks may not however 
long remain true, for it is exceedingly probable that a wider range will 
be ascertained for the distribution of the genus when the minute fungi 
of Eastern Europe, as well as of the rest of the world become better 
known. Recently Mr. Currey detected his 4. saccharinus on old 
leather from the Simplon, and the other species, first found by him, 
will also probably soon be found elsewhere in Eu 
A large number of the species enumerated have site natural habitat 
f 
