Rev. M. J. Berkeley and Mr. C. E. Broome on British Fungi. 367 



which show that it is quite distinct from Stemonitis papillata, the 

 spores being produced in little heads surrounded by a common 

 vesicle at the free apices of the flocci, which all spring from a disc 

 at the top of the percurrent stem. No such structure exists in 

 S. popillata. The genus therefore may be thus characterized : — 



Peridium simplex tenuissimum membranaceum fugax eva- 

 nescens. Capillitium determinatum e membrana stipitem coro- 

 nante cum peridio continua oriens. Sporse globosae 5-6 ad liberos 

 apices floccorum conglomeratse vesicula communi circumdatse. 



The structure is in Myocogastri precisely what that of Elapho- 

 myces is in Lycoperdinea, and would perhaps go far towards justi- 

 fying the retention of that genus amongst the puff-balls, remind- 

 ing one of the strange anomaly observed by Messrs. Tulasne in 

 the fructification of a species of Hymenogaster and of the vesicular 

 heads of Mucorini. This is almost the only case in which the 

 spores of a Myxogaster have been observed in situ ; Ptychogaster 

 is the single exception, and in that Corda represents them as 

 forming little heads. 



Plate XI. fig. 7- Flocci with spores and cysts highly magnified. 



389. Arcyria umbrina, Schum. Ssell. vol. h. p. 213 ; Fl. Dan. 

 t. 1975. fig. 1. Wothorpe, Norths., on wood. 



It does not seem to have been noticed that in this genus the 

 threads of the capillitium have a row of little tubercles on one 

 side only, or if not confined to one side, some of them are more 

 strongly developed. In some instances they form rings round 

 the threads. 



390. Trichia Ayresii, n. s. Congesta; peridiis obovatis cas- 

 taneo-fulvis nitidis ; stipitibus brevissimis connatis ; capillitio for- 

 titer echinulato sporidiisque crocato-fulvis. On decayed wood, 

 Thame, Oxfordshire, Dr. Ayres. 



Forming crowded masses. Peridia obovate, shining, of a bright 

 tawny chestnut. Elaters of the capillitium thicker than in T. py- 

 riformis and strongly echinulate, tawny. Spores globose, tawny. 



This differs from T. pyriformis in the much thicker strongly 

 echinulate elaters, which in that species are at first sight appa- 

 rently smooth, as indeed they are represented by Corda. Trichia 

 Neesiana, Corda, is referred by Fries in his ' Summa Vegetabi- 

 lium Scandinavian ' to T. rubiformis, with which view we are in- 

 clined to accord. 



391. Trichia serotina, Schrad. Journ. Bot. 1799, vol. ii. p. 67. 

 t. 3. fig. 2. Bristol, H. 0. Stephens, Esq. 



392. Licea perreptans, Berk. Effusa, demum hie illic conglo- 

 merata; peridiis oblongis ut plurimum distinctis; sporis atro- 

 purpureis, Berk, in Gard. Chron. 1848, p. 451. Lycoperdon 

 echiniformis, Sow. ! Fung. t. 400. fig. 1. In great abundance in 



