226 Messrs. Hancock & Atthey on Fossil Fungi 



with the spore-like bodies, being of a less delicate nature, or 

 in some way less perishable, are sometimes preserved through- 

 out the mass, at other times only partially preserved ; occa- 

 sionally the tubes are so strongly defined, that every charac- 

 teristic is retained ; again so delicate and attenuated are they, 

 that their margins only can be perceived, dying out until the 

 faintest traces pi them subside into the surrounding homoge- 

 neous substance. 



Those specimens that exhibit only cell-like bodies, large 

 and small, may have had likewise ramifying tubes, and pres- 

 sm-e may have obliterated them ; or they may have had a 

 continuous connected congeries of cells opening at the surface, 

 as the tubes would seem to do ; and in one instance, at least, 

 extensive traces of such a structure exist. In this case the 

 spores will have been developed in the cells ; and, in fact, 

 spore-like bodies have been observed in connexion with these 

 cells. 



We have already stated that the tubes originate in, and ap- 

 parently open at, the periphery of the fungus, and that spore- 

 like bodies are occasionally found within the tubes and the 

 bulbous enlargements in connexion with them. Such being 

 the case, it is only necessary to suppose (and, indeed, from 

 what we have seen, apparently the fact is such) that the tubes 

 are invaginated prolongations of the outer envelope or cuticle, 

 in order to bring the organization of these coal species into some 

 accordance with the structure of the higher fungi, in which 

 the spores seem to be always developed in connexion with 

 folds, tubes, or processes of one kind or other of the enveloping 

 membrane or cuticle, or, more correctly speaking, of the hy- 

 menium, which is itself apparently a continuation of the peri- 

 pheral investment. 



We shall now conclude this very imperfect account of these 

 interesting Coal-measure fungi with concise descriptions of a 

 few of the more characteristic species, leaving the rest (proba- 

 bly as many more) for further investigation, which we hope 

 will throw additional light on this intricate subject. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF SPECIES. 

 1. ArcTiagaricon hulbosum. 



Tubes of equal size, about toVo ii^ch in diameter ; the main 

 branches pretty straight, long, somewhat sinuous, with the 

 secondary branches much contorted, involved, and crowded ; 

 occasionally papillose, and frequently terminating in large 

 spherical vesicles, and with smaller bulbous enlargements, 

 sometimes two or three in close succession, their diameter 



