HABITATS. 235 



Of special habitats, we may allude to Nyctalis, of which 

 the species are parasitic on dead fungi belonging to the genus 

 JRussula. One or two species of Agaricus, such as Agaricus 

 tuber osus and Agaricns racemosus, P., grow on decaying 

 Agarics, whilst Agaricus Loveianus flourishes on Agaricns 

 nebularis even before it is thoroughly decayed. A few species 

 grow on dead fir cones, others on old ferns, &c. Agaricus 

 cepcestipes, Sow., probably of exotic origin, grows on old tan in 

 hothouses. Agaricus caulicinalis, Bull, flourishes on old thatch, 

 as well as twigs, &c. Agaricus juncicola, Fr., affects dead 

 rushes in boggy places, whilst Agaricus affricatus, Fr., and 

 Agaricus sphagnicola, B., are attached to bog moss in similar 

 localities. Some few species are almost confined to the stems of 

 herbaceous plants. Agaricus petasatus, Fr., Agaricus cucumis, P., 

 and Paxill'us panuoides, F., have a preference for sawdust. 

 Agaricus carpophilus, Fr., and Agaricus lalaninus, P., have a 

 predilection for beech mast. Agaricus urticoscola, B. and Br., 

 seems to confine itself to nettle roots. Coprinus radians, Fr., 

 makes its appearance on plaster walls, Coprinus domesticus, Fr., 

 on damp carpets. The only epizoic species, according to M. 

 Fries, is Agaricus cerussatus v. nauseosus, which has been met 

 with in Russia on the carcase of a wolf ; this, however, might 

 have been accidental. Persoon described Agaricus Neapoliianus, 

 which was found growing on coffee-grounds at Naples ; and 

 more recently Viviani has described another species, Agaricus 

 Coffees, with rose-coloured spores, found on old fermenting coffee- 

 grounds at Genoa.* Tratinnick figures a species named Aga- 

 ricus Marhii, which was found in wine casks in Austria. A 

 Coprinus has, both in this country and on the Continent, been 

 found, after a very short time, on the dressing of wounds, where 

 there has been no neglect. A curious case of this kind, which 

 at the time excited great interest, occurred some fifty years since 

 at St. George's Hospital. Some species appear to confine them- 

 selves to particular trees, some to come np by preference on soil 

 in garden pots. Certain species have a solitary, others a gre- 

 garious habit, and, of the latter, Agaricus grammopodius, Bull, 

 * Viviani, "I Fnnghi d'ltalia." 



