ZOOLOaY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 637 



and formation is found in widely separated groups belonging to 

 Agaricus, as in A. (Lepiota) amiantinus, clijpeolarius, Meleagris, and 

 gliodermus. 



There are several instances of pairs of sj)ecies of Agaricus exactly- 

 resembling one another in every respect except the presence or 

 absence of the annulus. Thus the very rare Amanita prcetoria, with- 

 out a trace of annulus, is otherwise identical with A. ccesarea. The 

 same is the case with the ringless Clitocyhe ectypus and Armillaria 

 melleus, with its very broad annulus ; and again with TricJioloma terreus 

 and Armillaria cingulatus. 



The section Mycena is entirely destitute of an annulus ; the pileus 

 is formed long before the elongation of the stipes, which is often 

 floccose at the base, this floccosity representing the volva in a large 

 number of species, but it usually expands only at a later period. 



The species of Boletus furnished with an annulus are not nume- 

 rous. In some, as B. flavus and laricinus, it is large and flowing ; in 

 others, as in B. versipellis and aurantiscus, only the remains are seen at 

 the edge of the pileus ; but the presence or absence of the annulus is 

 not used in this genus in dividing it into groups. 



The presence or absence, and the nature of the annulus cannot 

 therefore be used as absolute taxonomic characters in classifying 

 the species of Hymenomycetes. In Collyhia the pileus is formed at a 

 late period at the summit of the already developed stipes, by a kind 

 of duplication of the lamellas; while in Mycena the pileus is formed 

 very early, the stipes afterwards elongating suddenly. 



It seems certain that in Polyporus, so nearly related to Boletus, a 

 large number of species are destitute of a volva, and that this is the 

 case with many genera. 



Supposed Hymenial Glands of Pleurotus glandulosus.* — M. E. 

 Heckel has examined afresh the so-called glandular structure on the 

 hymenial lamellee of this fungus. A true glandular structure he 

 regards as impossible in a purely cellular organism ; and he considers 

 this to be simply a remarkable pilose development which affects 

 principally the organs of reproduction, caused, as in flowering plants, 

 by moisture and want of light. According to M. Patouillard, 

 Pleurotus glandulosus difi"ers from P. ostreatus in no other respect than 

 the presence on the lamellae of these white masses of glandular 

 appearance, and M. Heckel proposes therefore to suppress the species, 

 uniting it with the latter as a var. pilosus. The view of some writers 

 that the teratological structm-e is caused by the punctui-e of an insect, 

 M. Heckel is unable to confirm, finding neither larva nor perfect 

 insect that could be suspected of being connected with the injury. 

 Pilose structures, of a glandular appearance similar to this, occur on 

 other Basidiomycetes. 



New Genus of Sphseriacei.f — Under the name Neoshofitzia, S. 

 Schulzer separates a new genus closely allied to Hypocrea, and agreeing 



* Bull. Soc. Bot. France, xxvii. (1880) pp. 302-9. 

 t ' Science,' i. (1880) p. 160. 

 Ser. 2.— Vol. I. 2 U 



