for hydrogen, we get a volatile alkaloid tri-methyl-amine, a colourless liquid with a powerful fishy odour; in fact it is the cause of the smell of decayed fish, and is extractible from herring-roes, from cray-fish, and from other fishy sources. It is also found in the flowers of Crataegus oxyacantha, Crataegus monogyna, Pyrus aucuparia and communis, Chenopodium vulvaria, and in some odorous fungi, especially Ergot of rye, and in putrefying yeast. Probably Phallus impudicus and Clathrus cancellatus owe their odour to trimethylamine. The formula of trimethylamine is N (CH3)3 or C, H, N. This group itself forms the nucleus of a series of alkaloids differing from one another by two atoms of hydrogen : Betaine, C2 H [N (CH3)3 ] O2 or C5 H11 NO. 2 Muscarine, C2 H2 [N (CH3)3 ] (OH), or C5 H13 NO2. 2 Amanitine, C, H4 [N (CH3)3] (OH), or C5 H15 NO. Betaine occurs in Beta vulgaris and Lycium barbarum, but has not yet been found in fungi. Muscarine, C5 H13 NO2, was discovered by Schmeideberg about 1873. In the "Chemische Centralblatt" of 1876, p. 554, occurs his paper establishing its composition and artificial production. It occurs together with amanatine in Am. muscaria. The juice is evaporated, treated with alcohol, and then with lead acetate. After a long and complicated process the hydrochlorides of muscarine and amanitine are obtained, and are separated by pressing with paper, which absorbs the more deliquescent muscarine salt, and leaves the amanitine. The yield is very small, as 2 lbs. of the alcoholic extract (representing a very much larger quantity of the fungus, perhaps about 40 or 50 lbs.) gave only about oz. of muscarine. Muscarine forms a colourless inodorous syrup, crystallizing with great difficulty, easily soluble in water and alcohol, sparingly in chloroform, and not soluble in ether. It is strongly alkaline, forms crystallizable deliquescent salts, and is a strong narcotic, in some respects antagonistic to atropia. [Later researches show that this antagonism of physiological effect is not complete; there are lateral actions of each poison which may make a combined dose of each more fatal than the same quantity of either separately, so that its action as an antidote must be carefully watched.] Muscarine has not been obtained from any other natural source, but can be made artificially from amanitine. Amanitine, C5 H15 NO2 is identical with the animal bases choline and 1. Am. muscaria, hence the name amanitine. 2. Bile, hence the name choline (Strecker). 3. Brain and nerve tissue, hence the name neurine. 4. From eggs and the milt of the salmon, &c. 5. It can be prepared artificially by a complicated process. It is only of late years that the identity of these products has been proved. Amanitine is chemically called "Trimethyloxethylammonium hydrate." It is a white crystalline substance similar to muscarine, but not so deliquescent, and not so poisonous. By oxidizing agents, such as strong nitric acid, amanitine is converted into muscarine by the loss of two atoms of hydrogen. By heat both muscarine and amanitine yield trimethylamine. The passage from muscarine and amanitine to betaine has not yet been effected. The price of muscarine, either natural or artificial, is 1s. per grain. I have not seen amanitine mentioned in a price list, except as choline or neurine. The singular occurrences of amanitine (neurine or choline) are another link between fungi and the animal kingdom. The production of these bodies artificially is of great interest, as very few natural alkaloids have yet been artificially made; and these successes lead us to hope that we may some day produce such medicinal alkaloids as quinine and morphia by chemical means at a cheaper rate. I do not know of any other alkaloids from fungi. I remember a paper by Phipson in the "Chem. News" about "Agaricus violaceus" (Cortinarius?), which professed to describe two new colouring matters and an alkaloid, but the information was very scanty. The processes are so tedious and costly. I myself tried to obtain an alkaloid from Boletus luridus, but failed. It requires about cwt. of raw product to have any chance of success. acid Selmi asserts that mildew and the larger fungi give off hydrogen and carbonic gas. Taci (Comptes Rendus, lxxvi, 505) gives the following analysis of Agaricus (Russula?) fœtens in percentages :-Water, 67; mannite, 0'6; fibrin (albuminoid matter), 46; gum, 15; fungin or cellulose, 20; fat, 0'68; ash, 5.13; with acids, colouring and odorous matters undetermined. NOTES ON THE CHROOLEPUS JOLITHUS, AND By EDWIN LEES, F.L.S., F.G.S., Fellow of the Botanical Society of THE particle of minute research that I here offer to the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club, I must confess is not of an utilitarian character. I have not collected the "fungous fruits of earth," like my far-searching friend Dr. Bull, with a view to gastronomical enjoyment, but have chiefly directed my attention to the colorific tints that Crytogamic vegetation has spread over rocks, walls, roofs, and stagnant waters, thus for Lichens, Algæ, and minute Fungi, verily give an aspect to a rocky landscape not generally sufficiently considered even by those whose profession it is to delineate landscape scenery. This has led me to study a production not very generally noticed, to which I now propose to direct an investigating eye. This substance forms a coloured rust upon rocks, stones, and old buildings in secluded places, and is with difficulty scraped off, and thus is very different to the soft structures of the Confervoidea or Palmellacea, though agreeing in some respects with the latter family. These minute substances require very close examination, and as a study demand minds that delight in poring into the mysterious; for in this department where Nature descends to form complications whose interior development is invisible to the naked eye, the microscope becomes indispensable, and a student requires to have a microscopic mind. Yet these minute organisms impart a colour to objects in the landscape more or less apparent according to the state of the atmosphere, and are often conspicuously developed by rain, though in this respect they have not been sufficiently noticed by observers in their descriptions of the country, or by artists who in their pictures might take advantage of them in contrasting colours. The Cryptogamous vegetation that chiefly prevails upon rocks, lofty heights, or damp walls, are the Mosses, Lichens, and Algæ, and these cover more or less not only rocks and walls, but even the ground almost everywhere, even roofs also in rural places often glow with the brightest colours of yellow and orange, as the poet Crabbe has noticed in describing scenery "The living stains which Nature's hand alone Lichens give a very beautiful investiture frequently to masses of rock, which they often cover with a white, black, or variously coloured adventitious crust, which in some cases gives a name to the rock itself. Thus in South Wales, I once noticed a mass of rock near Fishguard bearing the native Welsh appellation of "Carn Wen," commonly called, or the "White Rock,,' from the milk-white lichen that covered it, which proved to be a variety of the Crabs'-eye lichen (Leconora parella). The Algal tribe is very much developed everywhere both on land and the surface of water, and colours walls and stagnant pools mostly with a green scum, while occasionally a crimson coating is produced, which has at times been a source of terror to superstitious minds. But Algals are mostly of a green colour, and are lovers of moist places whether rocks or damp walls, and it is algalic vegetation that gets upon old neglected churches, and stains their walls even in the interior, as I have often observed. I have seen green spaces on the Malvern hills covered with Lyngbya muralis, and not long since I observed the side of a quarry near Malvern beautified by a bright green Ulva. What is called Water-flannel, the Conferva capillaris of Linnæus, a green flossy substance, may be seen covering the sides of ditches, or the surface of stagnant pools. The trunks of trees are made often to look green by a very common algal called in botanical nomenclature Hæmatococcus vulgaris. I may also mention a little spreading algal known as Botrydium granulosum,* which curiously enough in a hot summer is seen to cover exposed bottoms of dried-up ponds, and is an interesting subject for the microscope. The vegetable organism which I shall now describe forms a hard dense crust upon rocks or buildings, and to the naked eye or a superficial gaze might be supposed to be a mere colour of the stone, for it is very hard to get off, but when moistened or rubbed, it gives out a peculiar fragrant scent. I may remark that to be within the limitation boundary of the observation of the Woolhope Club, I have found the Jolithus upon very old tombstones in the churchyards of Cradley, Colwall, and Abbeydore, all in Herefordshire. This curious substance, conspicuous enough where it has established itself to any great extent, has caused great diversity of opinion among botanists as to where to place it generically, though all agree that being without gonidia it has no claim to be a lichen, although from its crustaceous character it has a very lichenic aspect to a superficial gaze. Linnæus was the first to observe this appearance, and characteristically says, in his Tour in Lapland-" Here and there in the woods lay blood-red stones, or rather stones which appeared to be partially stained with blood. On rubbing them I found the red colour merely external, and perfectly distinct from the stone itself. It was in fact a red Byssus, (and I named it) Byssus Jolithus." But Linnæus afterwards referred it to the Lichen tribe. Although some botanical writers have ranked the Jolithus among the smaller fungi, its permanence where it has once established itself, and its internal structure, removes it with certainty from that tribe, and places it amongst the Alga. Forming, as shown by the microscope, branched tubes or filaments enclosing globules, this cryptogamic plant has a confervoid aspect, but these globules, which become red, are different to the conjugating cells of the Confervoidea or Zygnemaceœ, and are of a more enduring character. Thus classed with the Algae Globu * See page 187 of Woolhope Transactions, 1870, and the diagram opposite page 193. lifera, this crustiform production must be arranged either with the Palmelle or the Protococceœ. The former comprehends the common Palmella cruenta, or "Gory Dew," so called from its sanguine aspect, and also the Protococcus nivalis or red snow of the Alps or Polar regions. But these productions have their globules enclosed in an envelope of gelatine, while the object here dilated upon would seem to belong to the division Protococceæ, forming a friable stratum of globules not immersed in gelatine, and readily separable. Agardh has given the generic name of Chroolepus to certain minute byssora structures, which Griffiths and Henfrey in their Micrographic Dictionary say have been regarded "sometimes as Fungi and sometimes as Algae," but they indicate the Protococcece and name the genus Chroolepus, but take no notice, nor give any description of the individuals presumed to rank under it. The well-known learned and observant fungologist Mr. Berkeley has somewhat doubtfully placed this persistent production under the genus Chroolepus, but in his English Flora expresses a hope that he "shall not be accused of mischievously adding to the already numerous synonyms of this little plant." He has, however, placed it as a member of the Byssoidea, which he defines as "Plants of doubtful affinity, related to the Fungi." Notwithstanding this intimation, I have in my Botany of Malvern Hills, placed the little plant mentioned in this paper under the Protococcea, and have had the temerity not only to give it generic rank, but a specific title also, as under. Jolithus.-Forming a friable stratum of globules not immersed in gelatine, the filaments crowded together, and enclosing concatenated coloured globules. Jolithus lichenoideus (Lichen Jolithus, Linn.) Filaments tufted, erect, very short, orange red, dichotomous, the enclosed globules longer than broad. Appearing like a red crust or powder, on rocks and stones, and when rubbed or moistened emitting a fragrant violet-like scent. It colours rocks and stones in Switzerland in damp and shady places with a gorgeous colour, but in England it is most abundant on the walls of old churches near the coast, or on tombstones of great age in churchyards. Where it has once fixed itself the Jolithus remains as permanent as the rock or building on which it grows and extends. I have noticed this Algal in great abundance in a rocky ascent between the Rhone valley and the next village on the road to Zermatt; and as it also reddens the rocks to a considerable extent at the base of Monte Rosa also in Switzerland, I am inclined to think that the name applied to the mountain was given to it from this circumstance rather than to the transient effect produced by the reflected rays of the setting sun. The walls of the churches of Wyke near Weymouth, and of Portishead in Somersetshire, have portions conspicuously coloured by the extended crust of this algal. It must be admitted that the red globules when mature have a considerable resemblance to those of Hamatococcus, which some botanists regard the same as Palmella, but I have never seen them duplicated as those of Hæmatococcus are, and the latter is an inhabitant of water. In fact the globules differ but little from those of the famed "red snow," which has been placed in different genera as |