133 
Genus Coprimes. 
highly organized section of the genus, characterized by the 
presence of a volva having a distinct free margin. There 
are twelve such species known, eleven of which are confined 
to Europe, the twelfth — Coprimes jasmundianus — being re- 
stricted to the Egyptian desert-region. Again, the species 
furnished with a ring or annulus on the stem are most abun- 
dant in Europe ; but it must be remembered that both volva 
and ring are very evanescent structures, usually completely 
disappearing before the Fungus arrives at maturity, and at 
best are difficult to distinguish with certainty in the case 
of dried specimens ; hence our knowledge of the subject is 
as yet too incomplete to justify the statement that the most 
highly organized species are most abundant in Europe ; never- 
theless, as shown by the following table, Europe has by far 
the largest percentage of endemic species. 
The following arrangement shows the general and relative 
distribution of the species, the total number of which is 169. 
Europe ; total of 
species, 117 ; 
endemic 
species, 99. 
Asia „ 
» 13 ; 
» 7 - 
Africa „ 
>1 16 ; 
» 9 - 
Australasia „ 
1 7 > 
>> 
» 5- 
America „ 
» 45 5 
>> 
„ 3 1 - 
The particular country or district in each continent having 
the greatest number of species is given below : 
France ; 
total of 
species, 
70; 
endemic 
species, 24. 
Ceylon 
33 
>> 
8; 
3 ) 
33 5. 
S. Africa 
33 
9; 
33 
„ 3 . 
W. Australia 
JJ 
>> 
14; 
33 
33 3- 
U. States 
5} 
35 
33; 
33 
3, 20. 
Great Britain 
follows 
France 
with 
a total 
of forty-th 
species, six of which are endemic. The following countries 
and islands have each one or more endemic species : — 
Abyssinia, Java, New Zealand, India, Bonin Is., Canary Is., 
Falkland Is., Venezuela, Brazil, Martinique, Cuba, Cayenne, 
St. Thomas (W. Indies), Tahiti, Tonga Island. 
