21 



The following are in the Museum of the Department of 

 Agriculture, Melbourne : — „ 



(10) Pileus 4 in. across, slightly convex, edge irregu- 

 larly crenate, rather alveolate, pallid whitish. Pores adnate, 

 brownish. Stem f in. high and broad. False sclerotium 

 4 in. high, 3 in. broad, outer crust hard, the inside capable 

 of being scratched away. Locality not stated. 



(11) Pileus 2 in. across, glazed whitish with fine anas- 

 tomosing lines. Pores adnate, pale brownish. Stem } in. 

 high, J in. broad, brownish, finely areolate. False sclerotium 

 2 in. high, \ in. broad. 



(12) Three small false sclerotia, all from the mallee, 

 Victoria. 



The following is in the Melbourne National Museum: — 



(13) "Mallee Potato." Sand held together by fungous 

 threads; ploughed up at Nyall mallee; forwarded by Mr. 

 Thomas J. Jenkins, 21/6/11. 



The following is in the National Herbarium, Sydney: — 



(14) One false sclerotium, somewhat bottle - gourd 

 shaped, about the size of a child's head, with the neck part 

 cut through by a ploughshare. The outer crust consists 

 of rusty-coloured particles of sand bound together, the inner 

 part of whitish mycelial strands and earthy and sandy matter 

 welded together, of a similar colour and somewhat resembling 

 cement. Forwarded from Pappville by Mr. A. Spedding 

 through Mr. G. Marks, manager of the Grafton Experiment 

 Farm. Mr. Marks reported that these false sclerotia are 

 usually found in sandy soil at a depth of 4 to 6 in. They 

 are brought up to the surface during the ploughing oper- 

 ations, and when first unearthed the specimens are somewhat 

 soft, but harden upon exposure to the weather. Other false 

 sclerotia have been found near Grafton and at Casino. 

 Similar specimens were submitted to the Chemical Branch, 

 Department of Agriculture, and the following is a copy of 

 a report made by Dr. H. I. Jensen: — "The specimen of 

 stone-making fungus was found to contain only 7*2 per cent, 

 of organic and volatile matter, the balance being earth. On 

 ignition the material first blackens, and then gives off heavy 

 organic fumes with a disagreeable smell like burning bones 

 and rags. On the destruction of all the organic matter, a 

 pinkish-yellow earth remains. The specimen contains no 

 carbonates of lime or iron, the cementing material seeming 

 to be essentially fibres of organic matter. The exterior has 

 a sandy crust, in which rather more oxide of iron has be*^ 

 deposited than in the more organic core." 



