110 OBSERVATIONS ON SOME SPECIES OF NEAPOLITAN FUNGI. 
common to Northern Europe. We have obtained fine clusters of 
coffee fungus on the coffee-mark kept in a damp locality, and we 
have observed that the characters given by Persoon and Briganti 
are entirely reconfirmed. These characters are always easily 
recognised, for from 1876 we have preserved a cluster in alcohol. 
Considering the constancy of form, and the special substratum on 
which this fungus lives, we believe that the species called A. neapo- 
litanus , Pers., ought to be retained in the list of European Fungi. 
3. Ag. tuberaster. Brig.jun. — (Comes, Fung. Nap., p. 113, 
tav. xiv., f. 4.) 
The coffee fungus is very similar to the Pietra fungaia fungus, 
which Briganti jun., once observed on Pietra fungaia. But 
although from his unpublished works we have not been able to 
have an exact idea of the colour of the spores, yet from the 
characters given by Briganti we believe that the said species 
ought to be classified amongst the Clitocybe. We also have 
observed a very little fungus on the Pietra fungaia , very different 
from the A. tuberaster , Brig., and which we have named A. 
Severini (Fung. Nap., p. 92, tav. xiv., f. 7-8). Moreover, at p. 
144, l.c., we wrote that also Micheli and Battarra had mentioned 
some fungi belonging to the Pietra fungaia , and which had gills ; 
but we are sorry that they have not given the characters of these 
fungi, therefore we cannot make comparisons. We do not wonder, 
however, at the variety of forms of the fungi, which may live on 
the Pietra fungaia , because when the latter begins to decompose, 
it may certainly receive spores of the other fungi, and comport 
itself towards them as would any other decomposing organic 
substance. 
4. A. cardarella. — (Fr. S. M. i., p. 84 ; Ejusd. Hym. Eur., p. 
80. — Cooke et Quelet Cl. syn., p. 19, No. 240.) 
Fries made this species by the characters that were assigned 
by Battarra to a fungus commonly known as Cardarella nostrana , 
and which lives in the pastures of the Adriatic coast. It is 
collected in autumn, when ripe and when dry, and is escu- 
lent (Battarra, Fung. Arim. Hist., p. 38, t. xvi., G., Omphalo - 
myces fuscus). We may, without further proof, assert that the 
fungus to which Battarra alluded is precisely the field Eryngo 
Agaric (. A . Eryngii , DC.), which is collected in the pastures along 
the Adriatic, and which is sent from the Abruzzi (where it is called 
Carderella ), and the Puglia (where it is called Cardoncello) to 
Naples, where it is sold dried, and strung in bundles on threads. 
But we prefer giving other direct proofs of our assertion. Fries 
had considered these species so closely allied, that he had placed 
them near, and had marked the A. cardarella with the No. 12, 
and the A. Eryngii with the No. 14 (Fr. S.M. i., p. 84, No. 12, 
14). Also the diagnostic phrases correspond substantially the one 
with the other, differing in some secondary points, which refer to 
characters which are neglected in the A. cardarella , because the 
