I do not doubt it should be classed in the Gastromycetes. There is 

 nothing similar in any respect. 



Plant 4-5 cm. high, 2 cm. thick. Peridium brittle, resinous, 

 bearing little grains of resinous substance like lac, apparently an 

 exudation. Columella of pale tissue, reaching beyond the middle. 

 Hymenial plates carbonous, black, closely packed, proceeding from 

 the columella and terminating in brown apices, not reaching the 



Fig. 839. 



Fig. 840. 



Paulia resinacea. Fig. 838. natural size. Fig. 839, section. Fig. 840, surface (enlarged). 



peridium. Spores globose, 6 mic. pale brown color with minutely 

 tubercular surface, are borne densely covering the carbonous plates. 

 It is difficult to suggest an analogy for this curious thing. There 

 are no other genera of true Gastromycetes with carbonous plates. 

 In the genera Gyrophragmium and Montagnites we have somewhat 

 similar plates, but these genera do not have true peridia, and are in 

 tact nearer to Agarics than to Gastromvcetes. Nor do I know of 

 any other fungus with such curious exudation. It looks like lac, but 

 it is neither a true resin nor a gum, for it is soluble in neither boiling 

 alcohol nor water. I have no information as to its habits, but hope 

 Mr. Paul will advise me further in this respect. 



596 





