STUDIES ON THE LUMINOUS FUNGUS. 5 



that the host of the fungus is confined to the beech tree. Eecords 

 are indeed not wanting that it was found growing on certain other 

 trees, as f. i. Castanea satica Mill. var. pubinervis (Hassk.) Makino, 

 Zelkowa serrata (Thunb.) Makino, Quercus serrata Thunb., Prunus 

 Jamasahira Sieb., etc. ; but I think these have to be received with 

 caution, since it is frequently no easy matter to precisely identify 

 the dead trunks on which the fungus grows. 



On Mt. Togakushi in Province Shinano, on which mountain I 

 made extensive searches for the fungus, I have determined to my 

 conviction that the fungus grow on dead trunks of the beech only, 

 and not on any other broad-leafed trees found there. In this 

 matter I have received emphatic endorsement from an old wood- 

 feller of the locality. 



The so-called beech zone in the middle parts of Hondo lies in 

 regions higher than about 2000 feet above the sea level, while in 

 Shikoku, Kiushu and the western parts of Hondo, it is restricted 

 to summits of high mountains. On the other hand, the farther 

 north we go in Hondo, the lower becomes the altitude of the zone 

 as a general matter ; and finally in the Aomori Prefecture at the 

 northernmost end of Hondo, it extends down to open valleys and 

 fields of the low plain. Accordingly, while in south-western Japan 

 the fungus is limited in occurrence to mountain summits, in the 

 northern parts it is often met with in the woods near villages. 



The fungus is found generally from the middle of September 

 to that of October, appearing a little later in southern, than in 

 northern, districts. Possibly it grows in the spring also, as is the 

 case with the edible mushroom Cortlnellus Shiitake, Tanaka, but I 

 have no actual observation on this point. 



The fungus commonly grows on standing trunks of dead 

 beeches, generally at points higher than 4 m. from the ground. 

 Less frequently it was discovered on fallen trunks rottening on the 



