Mutinies caninus (. Huds .), Fr. 363 
They are shown in section in Figs. 10 and 13. The identity 
of such pits with chambers in the lower part of the wall 
has recently been pointed out by A. Moller in the case of 
a Brazilian Mutinus 1 . After stating that the formation of the 
chambers in the wall of the stipe is from below upward,, and 
hence that they may be more or less incompletely formed at 
the top of the stipe, he adds further that the deep pits in the 
wall opening into the central cavity near its upper end must 
be regarded as chambers lacking a wall on the side next to 
the main central cavity. 
Before reading Moller’s work I had reached the same 
conclusion in regard to the pits of M . caninus , but through 
different evidence. That these pits are of the same nature as 
the chambers lower down in the stipe, and that they differ 
from such chambers merely in the absence of a wall on the 
side towards the cavity of the stipe, becomes very probable 
when one splits a mature plant lengthwise, and views the 
chambers and pits from the side of the main central cavity 
of the stipe. Near the upper end, deep pits, somewhat 
hexagonal in cross-section, occur ; towards the lower end, 
the chambers are found, each covered by a thin membranous 
wall, which is so puffed out as to readily show that the form 
of the chamber is like that of the pit. The change from 
chambers to pits occurs rather abruptly, yet between the two 
regions there is a narrow zone within which it is possible to 
find all intermediate conditions between the two extremes. 
In some cases the membrane almost closes the chamber, but 
thins out towards the middle, leaving a minute opening into 
the chamber-cavity. In other cases the membrane does not 
cover more than half of the side of the pit, and in others it is 
a mere border about the pit. Fig. 13 shows some of these 
intermediate stages in section, but they are best seen by 
looking against the inner surface of the stipe. 
The mode of origin of the pits may be seen by examination 
of suitable sections from an egg in the stage of Fig. 10. 
Fig. 1 % shows a section through one of the pits in that stage. 
1 L. c., 1895, p. 93. 
