the genus Cctl os toma, Desv. 3 1 
colourless, becoming eventually elliptical from 15-18 x 8-10 //, 
of a pale ochraceous tint, and minutely warted (Fig. 15). 
When the spores are ripe, the basidia and hyphae forming 
the trama become mucilaginous, the septate hyphae breaking 
up into detached cells, which before complete disorganisation 
become very much swollen, and probably correspond to the 
vesicular mucilage-cells described by Fischer as occurring 
in the gleba of Sphaerobolus. The disorganisation extends 
to within about *5 mm. of the outside of the spore-sac, which 
now appears as a sharply defined membrane everywhere up 
to this period in contact with the inside of the endoperidium, 
but after the above-mentioned changes in the gleba contracts 
into a sphere less than 1 cm. in diameter, attached to the 
apex of the endoperidium immediately below its closed 
mouth. The contraction of the spore-sac is due to the 
peculiar behaviour of certain thick-walled hyphal constituents 
fixed at the point where it is attached to the teeth sur- 
rounding the orifice. These hyphae after becoming sticky, 
contract in an irregular spiral manner, and draw the spore-sac 
with its contents up to the summit of the endoperidium. 
These contracted hyphae remain for a long time unchanged 
in water, but if placed in dilute potassic hydrate soon begin 
to expand and reveal their true nature (Figs. 16, 17). There 
is no trace of a capillitium. The mucilage resulting from 
disintegration of the hyphae contracts into irregular-shaped 
masses, leaving the spores perfectly free and dry in the 
spore-sac. The functional value of the various parts in 
connection with spore-dissemination can only be determined 
from an examination of living plants. 
In several old specimens the spore-sac with its contents has 
completely disappeared from the endoperidium, and in two 
examples has passed through the mouth and remains attached 
to the teeth of the endoperidium as in Sphaerobolus. This 
extension of the spore-sac has been observed by Hitchcock 
and Berkeley, and may be considered as the normal mode of 
dehiscence, but sometimes the dry spores are forced out of the 
mouth without extension of the spore-sac, as described by 
