VEGETABLE LAMPS. 135 



Tia7ms stypticus in his garden ; the young of which, being 

 especially brilliant, emitted a steady light. In Brazil a 

 certain agaric is famous for its vivid luminosity. It was 

 observed by Mr. Gardner in 1840, who says, referring to the 

 species which has been named Agaricus gardneri, " One 

 dark night about the beginning of December, while passing 

 along the streets of the Villa de Natividate, Goyaz, Brazil, 

 I observed some boys amusing themselves with some lumi- 

 nous object, which I at first supposed to be a kind of large 

 fire-fly ; but, on making inquiry, I found it to be a beautiful 

 phosphorescent species of Agaricus, and was told that it 

 grew abundantly in the neighborhood on the decaying fronds 

 of a dwarf palm. The whole plant gives out at night a 

 bright phosphorescent light, somewhat similar to that emit- 

 ted by the larger fire-flies, having a pale greenish hue. From 

 this circumstance, and from growing on a palm, it is called 

 by the inhabitants ' Flor de Coco.' " 



Dr. Cuthbert CoUingwood had a similar experience with 

 an allied species in Borneo. " The night being dark, the 

 fungi could be very distinctly seen, though not at any great 

 distance, shining with a soft, pale greenish light. Here and 

 there spots of much more intense light were visible, and 

 these proved to be very young and minute specimens. The 

 older specimens may more properly be described as possess- 

 ing a greenish, luminous glow like the glow of the electric 

 discharge ; which, however, was quite sufiicient to define its 

 shape, and when closely examined, the chief details of its 

 form and appearance. The luminosity did not impart itself 

 to the hand, and did not appear to be affected by the separa- 

 . tion from the root on which it grew, at least not for some 

 hours. I think it probable that the mycelium of this fungus 



