NUTRITION 
25 
downwards in an overhanging bank. All the normally 
placed spines were pointing downwards, and a hymenial 
surface with well-developed spines occupied the greater 
part of the centre of the true pileus. 
Agarics with resupinate pileoli growing on the pileus, 
usually at the margin, are not infrequently met with. 
Examples with stalked secondary pilei also occur (Fig. 6, A). 
These latter must not be confounded with parasitic species, 
examples of which are shown on Plate XI., where also is 
depicted the curious Boletus parasiticus , which lives a parasitic 
life on the common earth-ball. 
The late Professor Marshall Ward pointed out in a very 
valuable paper on the “Nutrition of Fungi”* that more 
accurate information is wanted respecting the habitats 
of fungi. “ It is important to know not only whether the 
substratum is charcoal, burnt clay, sand, etc., but if the 
mycelium in open land runs into manure, humus, or even 
to the living roots of grasses, etc. Much has been accom¬ 
plished, but more can be done by further observation in the 
field to direct the efforts of those who cultivate the forms 
with a view to settling these questions, and we must all 
admit that it is a branch of science that opens up splendid 
opportunities for research. We should like to see more 
information regarding the shade-bearing, moisture-loving, 
wind-enduring, and frost-resisting capacities of groups of 
critical and closely allied species, as well as statistics 
regarding season, altitude, habitat, etc., recorded with all 
the care and completeness possible. ... Is there any con¬ 
nection between the habitat and nutrition of the species and 
their specific and generic character— e.g., colour of spores, 
texture of pileus, hollow or stuffed stipes, adhesion, freedom, 
etc., of lamellae, or minor characters of colour, silkiness, 
etc. ? Can we find in the distribution of the species in 
* Transactions of the British Mycological Society, vol. i., pp. 124- 
142. 
