ALG^ AND FUNGI. 13 



collection U. S. Nat. Mus. Also sent by Dr. Britts from Vernon County, 

 Missouri; U. S. Nat. Mus., 6035. 



OONOSTICHXJS PROLIFEK Ls. 



PI. II, Fig. 6. 



1879. Conostichns prolifer Lesquereux, Goal Flora, Atlas, p. 1, pi. b, fig. 3; text, vol. i 

 (1880), p. 16. 



The specimen plaotograplied in PI. II, Fig. 6, is the only example of 

 this curious form that has been found in the recent collections from Mis- 

 souri or in the other collections in the United States National Museum. 

 The type specimen is said to have come from this State. Although the 

 figure is somewhat suggestive of a concretionary formation, the specimen 

 may well be of the same nature as ConosticJms Broadheadi, and, judging 

 from the external featui'es, its structru'e is comparable to what would result 

 were several specimens of the latter species joined closely in longitudinal 

 succession. 



Locality. — About halfway between Nevada and Fort Scott, Vernon 

 County, Missomi. Shale near base of the Coal Measures. (Lesq.) 



KXJNOI. 



I»YRElSrOM:YCETE.3E. 

 HTSTEEITES Unger, 1841. 

 Cliloris Protog?ea, vol. i, p. 1. 



To this genus, established by Unger to contain those fossil fungi 

 apparently most closely related to the living Hysteria, have been a-eferred a 

 considerable number of species by various authors.^ Most of these species 

 are of Tertiary age, but several are from the Cretaceous, while one has 

 been reported by Nathorst from the Rhgetic. It is interesting to learn that 

 the Rhsetic fungus, like the most ancient species with which we have to do, 

 appears to have been parasitic on the leaves of Gymiiosperms, Hysterites 

 Friesii Nath." having been found on the foliage of Podosamites distans 

 (Presl) Fr. Br. 



' Sixteen species are enumerated by Meschinelli, Sylloge Fungorum Fossilium, Patavii, 1892. 

 * Nathorst, Bidrag till Sveriges Fossila Flora, Stockholm, 1876, p. 11, pi. i, ligs. 1, 2. 



