96 NORTH AMERICAN SORDARIACEAE 
my subsequent cultures of South Dakota material appear to justify 
the disposition made above. The hairiness of the stroma is also 
a character which is variable, depending, apparently, both on the 
age of the specimen and also the amount of moisture in the cul- 
ture. Subsequent study may necessitate a segregation of this 
species; but at present I can not find constant characters that 
warrant it. 
4. Hypocopra FIMETI (Pers.) Sacc. Syll. Fung. 1: 248. 1882; 
Fries, Summa Veg. Scand. 397. 1849; Ellis & Everhart, 
N. Am, Pyren. 134. 1802. 
Sordaria fimeti (Pers.) Wint. Abhand. naturforsch. Gesell. zu 
Halle, 13°: 78-79. pl. 7. f. 3. 1877. 
Perithecia crowded or confluent, abeng or ovate, 300-350 م‎ 
broad, ending above in a thick conical mostly oblique neck, and 
about half sunken in the thin crustaceous, effused, black, slightly 
wrinkled, bare stroma: asci cylindrical, short-stipitate, 140- 
150 م‎ X 174 (p. sp.), 8-spored, with filiform paraphyses: spor- 
idia elliptic-oblong, dark brown, 18-20 x 12 ,م‎ with a gelatinous 
envelope. 
On horse dung, New York (Peck). 
This species has not been seen in any of my cultures or in any 
of the herbarium material at hand. It has apparently been found 
but once in this country. 
5. Hypocopra violacea (E. & E.) 
Sordaria violacea E. & E., Am. Nat. 31: 340. 1897; Sac- 
cardo, Syll. Fung. 14: 492. 1899. 
Perithecia aggregated in small clusters of 2-6 and completely 
imbedded in the stroma or often projecting in such a way as to push 
the upper layer of the black rugose naked stroma into broad pa- 
pillae which outline the dimensions of the perithecia; stromatic 
layer thick and black above, gradually decreasing in thickness and 
becoming fuscous or white within the substratum ; within the stro- 
matic layer the whole mass colored bright violet ; the entire stroma 
sunken in or projecting slightly above the substratum ; perithecia 
pyriform, about 600 » x goo ,م‎ with papilliform projecting beaks. 
Asci obclavate, broadly rounded above, widest near the base and 
abruptly contracted into a short blunt stipe, rather persistent, 
50-66 م‎ x 186—240 £; apical structure rather small and color- 
ing bright blue with iodine: paraphyses filiform, septate, longer 
than the asci and mixed with them. 
