HOW MUSHROOMS ARE REPRODUCED. 
71 
above its former position in the ground ; on rain or damp 
supervening, the strips return to their former position ; on the 
return of the drought, this process is repeated, until the 
Fungus reaches the surface, becomes epigeal, and spreads out 
there ; then the membrane of the conceptacle opens to emit the 
spores in the form of dust.” This description is altogether 
incorrect; in fact, just the opposite state of things holds good, 
for the strips become horizontal from moisture, and are rigidly 
indexed when dry. Fries pointed this out, in his “ Systema 
Mycologicum,” nearly fifty years ago. These errors, in our 
best and most recent text-books, are here pointed out, not from 
any desire to find fault or detract in the slightest degree from 
two thoroughly excellent works, but simply to show how 
difficult it is to make new and correct observations. In the 
following paper and the one recently published by me, on the 
reproduction of Coprinus radiatus , in the “ Gardeners’ Chro- 
nicle” for Oct. 16 and 23, 1875, I have, to a certain extent, 
broken fresh ground. My views, although long since fore- 
shadowed by various competent botanists, are yet different 
from those now generally held regarding the reproductive pro- 
cess in the Bctsidiomycetes. If I am in error as to my supposed 
facts, or the deductions I draw from them, I am at least in good 
company, and I have not warped any of my observations to fall 
in with the previously expressed views of any other writers 
whatever. 
The nature of the gills in various members of the mushroom 
tribe differs very much, and this difference is especially remark- 
able in the absence or presence of the trama, and in the 
number, form, and size of the cystidia. In the genus Coprinus 
there is no trama to the gills. The trama in true Agarics is 
formed by cells, which are of a different nature from the other 
simple cells which go to form the gills, and this trama forms 
the intermediate substance between the hymenial surfaces. 
Nothing can be more different than the interior structure of 
the gills in the genus Coprinus, and in Agaricus lacryma- 
bundus (Fr.). In fig. 1 is shown, enlarged 150 diameters, a 
vertical transverse section down a gill of G . radiatus (Fr.), 
which species is (though minute) quite typical of the entire 
genus. The trama with its large cells would, if present, be at 
a ; but a glance at the figure will show that the individual cells 
throughout this section are almost identical in size. If refer- 
ence is now made to the similar section of a gill belonging to A . 
lacrymabundus , Fr. (and shown on PI. CXXXII.), the nature 
of the cells at a, which go to form the trama, will be quite ap- 
parent. Wide differences of cell-form like this are common in 
the mushroom tribe, but the difference of form as found 
amongst the cystidia is still more striking. In Coprinus 
