Afrit, 1, 1864.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. 387 



divisions are larger. They are formed beneath the cuticle, and are at 

 first covered by a portion of the matrix. The cuticle becomes depressed, 

 though still tough and thick. The hymenium is separable in a body from 

 the surrounding substance, except at the top, but I have not been able 

 to detect either the toothed edge noticed by Mr. Darwin, or the gela- 

 tinous contents which had, perhaps, been dispersed by the spirits in. 

 which the specimens were preserved. The cells, or cups themselves, 

 are ovate, lined almost to the top by the hymenium, which is, however, 

 at present, not perfectly developed. The substance interposed between 

 the top of the cells and the cuticle is gradually absorbed, and the cuticle 

 itself becomes thinner and tightly stretched over the cavity, and at 

 length bursts and forms a membranous border to the irregular orifice. 

 The margin appears to be a little reflected, but I could not ascertain 

 this point accurately. The hymenium is not peifect, and consists of 

 very slender paraphyses and abundant large slightly flexuous asci, which 

 contain eight sporidia, whose original form could not be made out, as 

 they were contracted by the action of the alcohol. With the sporidia are 

 a few globose granules. The asci at lenth become free, in which case 

 they are generally slightly swollen at the base, and at last, in old 

 specimens, there is scarcely any trace of them in the hymenium, which 

 consists of paraphyses only. When the cups are quite formed and 

 perforated, the cellular arrangement of the contents of the balls has 

 wholly vanished, and there are only a few faint radiating lines in 

 place of the regular divisions. The whole substance is composed of 

 branched, more or less flexuous threads. Occasionally, the stem is not 

 at all distinct, and the general form less globose, probably from the 

 individuals having grown more deeply in the fissures of the bark. In 

 the largest specimen there were traces of fine punctures, which had 

 evidently arisen from the whole surface having been granulated like the 

 stem in an early stage of growth, as some of the punctures below had 

 still a little black granule set in them. There were, besides, other dots, 

 which appear to indicate the position of undeveloped cups. 



I have considered all the Fuegian specimens- as belonging to one 

 species. It is possible, however, that the larger specimens may prove 

 distinct though the differences, which are not apparently important 

 more probably arise from the period of the year at which they were 

 gathered. (' Berk, in ' Linn. Trans'). 



The additional information furnished by Mr. Darwin is all that I 

 am aware is known of this interesting fungus. 



In the beech forests of Tierra del Fuego, the trees are much diseased. 

 On the rough excrescences grow vast numbers of yellow balls. They 

 are of the colour of the yolk of an egg, and vary in size from that of a 

 bullet to that of a small apple, in shape they are globular, but a little 

 produced towards the point of attachment. They grow, both on the 

 branches and stem, in groups , when young they contain much fluid, 

 and are tasteless, but in their older and altered state they form a very 



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