BOTANICAL NOTES. 307 



are distinct organisms. A spore having germinated on the surface of the 

 mass, its mycelium penetrates the interior, and becoming perennial, pro- 

 duces successive crops of fungi. 



Residents in the Indian Archipelago and in the Pacific Islands might 

 throw considerable light on the subject of these growths by careful notes 

 and collections. It is important to discover the origin of the tuberous 

 mass which become, so to speak, a convenient nidus for the fungus. How 

 do such masses perpetuate themselves 1 A considerable number should be 

 kept under observation, and the mode of appearance o\ the fiingus carefully 

 noticed. Experiments might be made with the spores of the fungus by 

 dusting them' over the surface of the masses. Such notes and collections 

 should be forwarded to Mr. Murray, at the British Museum of Natural 

 History. 



