1897 | THE PHALLOIDEZAL OF THE UNITED STATES 75 
more detailed reference to his views will be given toward the 
close of my paper. 
The material for numbers 1-5 of the following experiments 
was collected early in October, 1894, on a grassy slopeat Fresh 
Pond, Cambridge, Mass., a locality to which I was directed by 
Dr. Thaxter. I am indebted to Mr. A. Piper, a student of Mid- 
dlebury College, for assistance in procuring the supply with 
which the investigation has recently been completed. Full 
grown and apparently mature “eggs” of the species Dictyophora 
duplicata (Bosc) were used. They were collected from time to 
time just before rains, and were kept in moist paper in a paste- 
board box until elongation of the receptaculum was beginning. 
This was shown by the beginning of rupture of the volva, 
usually at the apex. Occasionally, however, the rupture occurs 
so that a portion of the volva is carried upward on the apex of 
the pileus. When at this stage of development, the plants were 
then used as indicated below. 
Experiment 1—On October 4, an egg collected October 2 
was divided longitudinally into quarters. One of these quarters 
was put in water, and the other three in aqueous solutions of 
sugar of I, 5 and 20 per cent. strength, respectively. The rates 
of elongation are determined from the respective lengths of the 
quarters as noted at the hours stated below: 
In x per cent. In 5 per cent. In 20 per cent. 
Time In water ugar sol. sugar sol, sugar sol, 
II:00 A. M. - = 56° 5o"™= so" 5o* 
1:19 P.M. - - 94 990 66 62 
et. nea Te 106 94 80 
8:25 A.M. ofnextday 114 110 a 83 
These results agree with those obtained by Ed. Fischer with 
1. impudicus in various solutions, and they indicate, as he has 
asserted, that elongation is most rapid in water and in very 
dilute aqueous solutions, which would be most readily absorbed 
by the cells of pseudoparenchyma. 
Elongation of the receptaculum of these plants is most 
likely to occur during rainy weather or shortly after rains. This 
