3Q 



Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



thick, uneven, crustaceous, snow-white layer of lime ; the 

 inner a thin, violaceous membrane, cinereous from the adher- 

 ent granules of lime, or free from them, and iridescent. Capil- 

 litium of tubules forming a loose net-work, with wide expan- 

 sions at the angles ; the nodules of lime numerous, snow- 

 white, large, irregular, with pointed angles and lobes, some- 

 times confluent in the center of the sporangium. Spores 

 globose, minutely warted, dark violaceous, 9-10 mic. in 

 diameter. 



Growing on wood, bark, and mosses. Sporangia .8-1.0 mm. 

 in diameter, more or less irregular. The wall of the sporan- 

 gium is exactly like that of certain species of Diolerma, This 

 species must be rare, as I have met with it but twice in ten 

 years, and I am not aware that it has ever been found by any 

 one else. 



VIII. FUIylGO Haller. Aethalium a compound plasmo- 

 diocarp ; the component sporangia branching and anasto- 

 mosing in every direction, complicate and grown together; 

 the walls of the sporangia a thin membrane, coated with 

 minute, roundish granules of lime. Capillitium of tubules 

 forming a net-work of irregular meshes, more or less ex- 

 panded at the angles, the tubules containing in greater or 

 less abundance irregular nodules of lime. Spores globose or 

 sometimes ellipsoidal, violaceous. 



The genus is readily distinguished from Spumaria by the 

 round granules of lime upon the walls of the sporangia. 



§1. Aethalium Link. Aethalia large; the lime in the 

 capillitium scanty, the nodules small, ellipsoidal, or fusiform. 



a. Aethalium with a thick fragile common cortex. 



1. FuiviGO rufa Pers. Plasmodium a large soft mass with 

 a peculiar odor and golden-yellow in color. Aethalium very 

 large, pulvinate, orbicular, elongated, or quite irregular, 

 extremely friable, the surface tawny or ferruginous to ochra- 

 ceous and whitish. The long narrow, sinuous sporangia 

 closely compacted, entirely grown together and inseparable, 

 covered by a thick common cortex, and seated on a much 



30 



