dry weather they closely curve in, clasping the ball, and they will re¬ 
peat this as often as the conditions become moist or dry. Hence they 
are called “hygrometricus” and frequently by children “poor-man’s 
weather-glass.” Miss Marshall in St. Nicholas states that in the 
closed condition they are carried along by the wind and applies to them 
the name of “Fair weather travellers.” Plants persist often during 
winter and one observing them in the spring expanding under the in¬ 
fluence of moisture may take them for growing plants. They become 
“weather-worn,” the inner surface of the exoperidium cracked in nu¬ 
merous areas, the surface of the inner peridium frayed and fibrillose. 
It is a weather-worn specimen that Schweinitz named “Geaster 
fibrillosus.” 
Geographical Distribution. 
The plant is cosmopolitan. Common throughout Europe, it is more rare in 
England than on the continent. In this country it occurs from coast to coast and 
from Canada to Mexico. Locally however, it has never been found in the imme¬ 
diate vicinity of Cincinnati. 
Specimens in our Collection. 
Massachusetts, Miss Cora Clarke, Mrs. Chas. Cheney, Simon Davis, Walter 
Deane. Connecticut, Janies B. Rorer. New York, Ella K. Hays. Pennsylvania,, 
Ellen M. Dallas. Maryland, C. L. Shear. Minnesota, Minn. Bot. Survey. Ten¬ 
nessee, S. E. Corly. Georgia, Roland M. Harper. Florida , Mrs. Delia Sams, H. C. 
Culbertson, P. H. Rolfs, C. G. Lloyd. Colorado, C. F. Baker. Washington, W.N. 
Suksdorf. Illinois, L. H. Watson. 
France, N. Patouillard, F. Fautrey. Tirol, Rev. G. Bresadola. Hungary, 
Dr. L. Hollos. 
Explanation of Figures. 
Fig. 5. A plant of our collection from Walter Deane, Cambridge, Mass. 
Fig. 6. The same plant when moistened. Fig. 7. Photograph of plant in situ, 
by F. J. Braendle, Washington, D. C. Fig. 8. Unexpanded plant. Fig. 9. Sec¬ 
tion of same. Fig. 10. A cluster of unexpanded plants, from W. N. Suksdorf, 
Washington. Fig. 11. Spores magnified 450 diameters. 
GEASTER 
HYGROMETRICUS 
VAR. 
GIGANTEUS. 
A large form, differing from 
the ordinary plant only as to size, 
frequently reaches us from the 
Western States. It is .so much 
larger than the usual plant that 
we think is entitled to a dis¬ 
tinctive name. This large plant 
does not grow in Europe to our 
knowledge. 
10 
Fig. 13. 
Geaster hygrometricus var. giganteus, (unexpanded ) 
