39 



Boletus edulis Bull., to our great surprise, was scarcely seen all 

 summer. Boletus affinis Pk. was abundant everywhere. 



The two species which were most abundant were Boletus 

 chromapes Frost and Boletus bicolor Pk. The latter species was 

 particularly common along the sandy roads, where its dark red 

 pilei might be seen often in large clumps attracting the eye of 

 every passer-by. 



Cleveland, Ohio. 



REMARKS ON THE USE OF FUNARIA HYGRO- 

 METRICA IN BOTANICAL TEACHING 



By Marshall A. Howe 



The common cord-moss {Funaria Jiygrometrica) figures so 

 prominently in well-known botanical text-books that little or 

 nothing needs to be said as to the characters by which it may be 

 recognized. It may be remarked, however, that this moss grows 

 by preference on moist sandy soil in either open or lightly shaded 

 places and that it thrives with special luxuriance where such soil 

 has been recently burned over. Though the leaves of the living 

 Funaria have long been famed for the beauty and clearness with 

 which their chloroplasts are exhibited, the gametophyte, on ac- 

 count of the shortness of the stem, is perhaps not so well adapted 

 for general study in the laboratory as is that of some of the 

 larger mosses like the Mniums. Yet, for spring classes, Funaria 

 may be relied upon to furnish material for the demonstration of 

 living spermatozoids. The clusters of antheridia may be recog- 

 nized in the living plants with the naked eye or with the aid of a 

 hand lens. They are of a yellowish or brownish color owing to 

 changes in the chloroplasts of the cells composing the walls of 

 the maturing antheridia, and each cluster is surrounded by leaves 

 in such a way that the whole is rosette-like in form. In the re- 

 gion of New York, the antheridia are mature late in April or 

 early in May. As in dealing with fern prothalli, the spermato- 

 zoids are set free with greater certainty if the plants are kept 

 rather dry for a day or two before the antheridia are brought into 

 a drop of water for examination. 



