1897.] Flora and Fauna of Mammoth Cave, Ky. 389 
have been reported from Mammoth Cave, but most of them 
with doubt. Among the larger fungi Hovey has reported a 
species of Agaricus, which, however, seems to have been wrongly 
determined, since the form is a Coprinus. Collections were 
made at various localities; indeed, at all places in the cave 
where plant life occurs at all. While these have not all been 
carefully studied certain facts of interest have been gleaned. 
These now follow. 
The largest form known in the cave is Coprinus micaceus 
(Plate XI). This occurs only in River Hall, near the Cascades 
and at various points between them and the head of Echo 
River. The last locality seems to be extremely well suited to 
them, for they grow in some numbers, and in clusters of several 
individuals. As is well known, the pileus of the Coprini is de- 
liquescent. The particular form from the cave has black and 
rather large spores, and when, in maturity, the form deliquesces, 
it runs over a considerable area of the wet soil surrounding it 
and makes large black patches of sticky or gelatinous matter. 
In the midst of this black area, for some two or three days, the 
stipe will remain standing and afford attractive bits for Adelops 
and Phora, the first a beetle, the second a fly. In the pileus, 
before deliquescence is completed, the beetles and flies alike 
may be found in the: burrows which the former have made. 
Many larvee were obtained through a close examination of fifty 
or more specimens, at one time or another. The fungus itself 
thrives in the rich mud of the river banks, where sufficient 
organic matter is buried, and specimens have been seen with 
long and curled stipes of more than thirteen inches length. A 
locality where the species may always be found is at the third 
arch or landing on the Echo River, on the steep muddy banks 
of the river near the bridge. 
On the old timbers in Mammoth Dome and on those of the 
little pit near Gorin’s Dome, in the Labyrinth, occurred in 
great numbers a small Peziza, very light reddish-brown in color 
and thriving well, though growing in absolute darkness. In the 
Mammoth Dome the form must have long sustained itself, for 
it has been many years since timbers were placed there ; unless, 
indeed, the spores were introduced in a very likely manner, on 
