assured if he could see the two specimens from Mr. O'Connor side by 

 side that he would concede a difference. The most marked difference 

 is in the veil which in Phallus indusiatus is of large meshes formed 

 of thin network and retains its net-like appearance in alcohol. Phal- 

 lus duplicatus, on the contrary, has a veil of smaller meshes and thicker 

 threads which in alcohol shrink up and appear almost like a solid 

 membrane. 



None of these three species, we think, have been recorded pre- 

 viously from Mauritius, and Mr. O'Connor has not found the only 

 phalloid heretofore known from this island, namely, Simblum peri- 

 phragmoides. 



CONCERNING THE POLYPOROIDS. 



FOMES NIGRICANS. The fact that there are two very differ- 

 ent plants referred to Pomes nigricans, " Fries," by different botan- 

 ists is not generally appreciated. 



First, there is a Fomes (Fig. 193) growing very common on 



Fig. 193. 



birch, which is in reality a form of Fomes igniarius, with a smooth, 

 black, shining crust. 2 It is called Fomes nigricans, "Fries," by 

 Quelet and Patouillard, and is the plant beautifully shown in the 

 recent plate by Boudier. I have only collected it on birch, but have 

 specimens from France, on willow, which are so referred. It has the 

 ame colored context, the same spores (subhyaline, compressed 



Hoc* tr Th * ty <P e f A 2 f Komes igniarius. as it grows in great abundance on all kinds of fron- 

 Dearanrp' S, ' a rou S h . "mose, black crust, very much resembling, in general ap- 

 forni on Ar,Vj mes . nm osus Last summer I found both forms in northern Canada, the rough 

 m on poplar, the smooth form in great abundance on birch. 



372 



