HOW MUSHROOMS ARE REPRODUCED. 
73 
prove the hypothesis that the higher fungi found under the 
Agaricini may be generalised as mere concreted masses of 
moulds. No bringing together into a mass of a forest of Peni- 
cellium could even make an Agaricus, and to me there is 
nothing in common between the conidio-spores of Penicellium 
and the basidio-spores of the Agaricini. 
The various bodies which, as I believe, belong to the repro- 
ductive process in the mushroom tribe are seen in figs. 1 and 2 
and PL CXXXII. The peculiar cells of the trama are shown at 
a, PI. CXXXII., the simple cells which form the external and 
hymenial surface at b, and the privileged cells at c, d. c shows 
the cystidia and d the basidia. Each basidium in the Agari- 
cini bears four minute spicules, which carry the same number 
of spores. The difference in size between the basidia and 
cystidia is often immense, and in Agaricus lacrymabundus the 
perfect forms of the two organs are very different from each 
other ; they, however, so approach each other in this species, 
that every intermediate form between a cystidium and a basi- 
dium may be observed. In Coprinus radiatus , as I have shown 
elsewhere, the cystidia have their contents differentiated, and 
at once produce spermatozoids ; or they germinate, and the 
spermatozoids are produced from a differentiation which then 
takes place at the end of the thread ; these spermatozoids attach 
themselves to and ultimately pierce the spores, and their pierc- 
ing causes the discharge of a single cell from the pierced spore, 
which cell belongs to the pileus of the new plant. As I inter- 
pret my observations, this process is carried on upon the gills 
themselves, as shown in fig. 1, and at the time of the perfect 
maturity of the fungus, at least in Coprinus, in the subgenus 
Volvaria, in the ordinary mushroom, and in such plants as have 
fallen under my notice. The basidia with their spicules and 
spores, the cystidia germinating and bearing spermatozoids, 
and the first cells of a new plant (e), are all shown in position 
in fig. 1. 
Agaricus lacrymabundus (Fr.) is a very different plant from 
Coprinus radiatus. It is one of our commonest Agarics of the 
autumn, and is usually found in damp pastures and about stumps. 
It bears a considerable resemblance to the common mushroom, 
and is without doubt often gathered for the table in mistake for 
that species, but whether with any ill effects or not I am unable 
to say. The most striking character of this Agaric resides in 
its gills, which are always furnished with a white edge, which 
drips with semi-milky tear-like drops. Why this singularly 
good character is not given by Berkeley in his “ British Flora,” 
or his u Outlines of British Fungology,” or by Dr. Cooke in 
his more recent “ Handbook,” I cannot say. Indeed, Fries him- 
self (whose species it is) does not advert to this salient charac- 
