DECOMPOSITION OF THE BEECH. 



tached by the earliest frosts, and falling to the 

 ground, the spots commence their operations by 

 corroding away the portions of the leaf that sur- 

 rounds them, but continue attached themselves, 

 appearing as raised, shining, vermicular lines. 

 This has been mentioned by Lamarck and others, 

 and is only now noticed to point out the variously 

 constituted agents that accomplish the destruction 

 of the foliage of plants. 



The bark, the wood, have other deputed powers 

 of destruction, many of which are very beautifully 

 fabricated. To dwell on them would extend too 

 much these remarks, designed rather as observa- 

 tions than details; yet I am tempted to introduce 

 two. The sphaeria coryli of Lamarck (peziza 

 coryli) is occasionally to be found in the month of 

 January, and through the winter until April, upon 

 old hazel sticks, and engages our attention by the 

 regularity of its tubercles. (See Plate 4. Fig. 3.) 

 The seed, or first principle of production, whatever 

 this may be, by means unknown to us, has been 

 fixed upon the inner bark of the wood. Gently 

 increasing, it bursts its way through the outer bark, 

 which now hangs as a fringe about it ; the seed- 

 vessels expand, and a dusty substance, being most 

 probably the matter that continues the species, is 

 dispersed around. A singular plant (sphceriafagi- 

 nea ?) is found upon the decayed wood of the beech- 

 tree *, in the earlier part of the spring. It appears 



* I am uncertain whether this plant has heen noticed. Spheeria 

 granulosa of Sowerby, and sp. tentaculata of Batsch, may be it in 



