MELANOSPORiE 
hi 
MEL ANOSPOR^G 
Spores black. Gills black or dark grey, speckled with the 
spores; never tinged purple at maturity. 
COPRINUS 
(Gr. kopyos, dung—from the habitat.) 
C. comatus (coma, a hair—from the shaggy pileus), “ Maned 
Inkcap.” Plate XV. n. 
P. 3-4 in. high, cylindrical; at length conical, or bell¬ 
shaped ; at first even, whitish ; during growth the cuticle 
becomes torn into large shaggy scales, and assumes a 
reddish-brown tint. G. almost free, ^ in. broad, crowded, 
white, then pinkish, becoming black, and melting away with 
the pileus into an inky black fluid. 5 . 4-6 in., slender, 
white, erect, hollow; somewhat bulbous below ; bulb solid. 
R. movable. Gregarious, not tufted; often near houses; 
not appearing in win. I have on several occasions seen it 
in large numbers in asparagus beds. It is sold in American 
markets at Boston as the “ English mushroom.” 
C. atramentarius ( atramentum , ink—from the inky fluid 
into which the gills dissolve), “ Common Inkcap.” Plate 
XXXVII. 7-10. 
P. up to 3! in. high, plicate, greyish, mealy and brownish 
at the apex. G. crowded, quite free, broad, white at first, 
finally black, with a suggestion of purple. S. 3-6 in., shining- 
white, hollow. R. basal, evanescent. Gregarious, tufted, 
about old stumps and on rich soil in spy. and aut. Edible. 
C. micaceus (mica, a glistening grain), “ Glistening Ink- 
cap.” Plate XXXVII. 5. 
P. i^-2| in., coarsely striate, ochraceous-tan, disc darker; 
when young, glistening with particles of oxalate of lime, 
which in dry weather are permanent, and resemble mica in 
appearance. G. adnexed, lanceolate, whitish, then brown, 
