386 FUNGUS-FLOKA. 



Brit. Disc., p. 49; Trail, Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist,, Jan. 1893, 

 p. 37. 



Among dry sand close to the upper limits of the tide- 

 mark, usually in the vicinity of Elymm. 



Professor Trail, F.R.S., of Aberdeen, has given a very 

 interesting account, in the journal quoted above, of observa- 

 tions made on the present species, which occurs in consider- 

 able abundance on the coast of Aberdeenshire. I have made 

 use of this account in drawing up the specific character, and 

 also add the following extract from the same. 



" The appearance varies so greatly with the age of the 

 specimen that it would be difficult to recognise the species 

 but for the fact that all the intermediate forms can be traced 

 in the various groups. 



" From personal observation, I find the course of develop- 

 ment to be as follows. The fungus first pushes its way 

 through the sand as a sphere, rather flattened above, and 

 continued below as a thick tapering stalk or "rooting-stem." 

 The surface is so covered with sand as to be scarcely visible. 

 On removing as much of the sand as is possible without 

 injuring the tissues, the surface is seen to be very pale 

 brown, and appears free from hairs, though under the micro- 

 scope one finds the surface loosely covered with a downy 

 coating. The apical half of the stalk bears a more evident 

 mycelium. The entire fungxis is fleshy and brittle, so as to 

 render it fcomewhat difficult to procure perfect specimens. 

 The stalk is peculiarly apt to break away unless very care- 

 fully handled. On their first appearance the cups do not 

 rise above the surface of the sand which they much resemble 

 in colour. The smallest that I have seen were about half 

 an inch in diameter, or rather less, and the only indication 

 of the opening of the cup was a small hole in the middle of 

 the upper surface. The cups continue to enlarge, and the 

 central hole widens, remaining circular and still surrounded 

 by an entire inflexed margin, so that the brown hymenium 

 lining the interior is in full view. When the cup has 

 reached a diameter of about an inch, it has assumed the form 

 figured in Cooke's ' Mycographia,' figures 100, 373. The 

 margin becomes split rather irregularly by the more rapid 

 growth of the adjacent tissues; and the cup becomes 

 turbinate. The proportions of the cup vary a good deal. 



