132 Massee. — A Revision of the 
It is interesting to note that, while the liquefaction of the 
elements of the hymenium — trama, basidia, paraphyses — was 
finally abandoned at a very early stage in the evolution of the 
Agaricineae, it persisted throughout the entire sequence of 
development in the parallel group of the Gastromycetes. In 
the puffballs — Bovista and Lycoperdon — the well-known 
water-logged condition of the immature Fungus is due to the 
melting of the hymenial structures, the spores being thus set 
free in the gleba, and after attaining maturity become dry, 
and are eventually dispersed by wind ; whereas in the highest 
order, the Phalloideae, a similar deliquescence takes place, 
the semi-liquid product having a very decided smell and 
a sweet taste, much appreciated by insects, who greedily 
consume it along with the very minute spores imbedded in 
it ; thus the feature which proved a failure in the Agaricineae 
has been an important factor in raising the Phalloideae to 
their present position as head of the fungal sub-kingdom. 
Distribution. 
The genus is cosmopolitan, species being most abundant in 
temperate regions ; at the same time subtropical and tropical 
regions yield their own peculiar forms. Two common 
European species, Coprinus fimetarius and C. micaceus , are 
recorded from Siberia. Three species, C. Barbeyi , C. im- 
bricatus , and C. jasmundianus , are peculiar to the Egyptian 
desert-region, growing on dung on caravan-tracks. Some 
species grow in absolute darkness, on timber in the shafts of 
coal-mines, &c., and very frequently under such conditions 
assume peculiar and grotesque forms, some of which have 
needlessly been raised to specific rank. The different sections 
of the genus, morphologically considered, are not characteristic 
of any particular region, as in those instances where a sufficient 
number of species are recorded from any extra-European 
country, the different types of structure are represented. An 
apparent exception to this statement is presented by the 
known distribution of the members constituting the most 
