_, "hypothallus, stalk,
columella, capillitium and spore-mass, violet-black, spore netted and
fringed, clear-violet, 7-9 mu."

The third species is _S. splendens_, "hypothallus stalk, columella and
spore-mass violet-black, spore smooth, clear-violet, 7-8 mu."

It will be observed that in color down to color of the spore by
transmitted light, the three species are exactly the same; constitute a
suite, so to say. It has since turned out, as noted under our No. 3,
that the spores of _S. fusca_ are netted. Error in description here is
not surprising; the reticulations are sometimes faint. In _S.
dictyospora_ they are admittedly strong, and the inference was that the
'_gladkie_' spores of the third species might be netted also. This is no
criticism: lenses were fifty years since not nearly so good for such
discoveries as the oil-immersion is now.

However; Rostafinski made his specific diagnosis turn largely upon the
mesh-width in the superficial net. This comes out in the '_opis_'
following the description, and upon _this_ the European decision in
Rostafinski's favor as against _S. morgani_ largely turns. Tropical
gatherings are probably always darker, and evidently from such, from the
north coast of South America, the original description was drawn.
Specimens before us from the same latitude are dusky indeed; no clear
brown at all, but purplish withal.

For the sake of harmony we may therefore now substitute the earlier name
"with reservations"! but our description remains as before, presenting
the really splendid, shining things that adorn our northern fields. Dr.
Rostafinski called the large open meshes of the net '_oka_', eyes;
_lumina_ let us say! quite uniform they are in 9 and 10, much less so in
8.

10. STEMONITIS FENESTRATA _Rex._

1890. _Stemonitis splendens_ R. _f. fenestrata_ Rex, _Proc. Phil.
Acad._, p. 36.

Sporangia aggregated, in tufts 2 cm. or more in diameter, rich purple
brown, on a common hypothallus, more or less erect, stipitate, tall,
about 2 cm., slender, triangular in section; stipe black, about
one-third the total height, passing into a slender columella which is
lateral in position, not central, but little branched, continued almost
to the apex; the capillitium consisting almost entirely of the
peripheral net, which presents meshes of unusual uniformity of size and
shape; spores in mass brown, colorless by transmitted light, nearly
smooth, 6-7.5 mu.

The remarkable sha