Veil on the cap composed under the microscope of elongate cells, either like thin-hairs or strings of sausages 4 4. Veil on the cap composed under the microscope of strings of sausage-shaped cells--group Lanatuli, e.g. _C. cinereus_, _C. pseudoradiatus_, _C. radiatus_ (see p. 211) Veil on the cap composed under the microscope of thick- or thin-walled, flexuous or straight, filamentous, hardly inflated cells--group Impexi, e.g. _C. filamentifer_ Kühner, _C. vermiculifer_ Dennis. [Illustration: Plate 71. Dung-fungi--The genus ~Coprinus~] General notes on dung-loving fungi and their habitats Dung fungi are highly satisfactory for demonstrating the diversity and morphology of a group of related organisms within a single ecological system, as representatives of most of the major groups of fungi usually grow on dung after a period of incubation. Dung will always produce characteristic fungi whatever time of year it is collected. Dung is best incubated in a light place, for example on a window sill, in a warm room on layers of blotting paper or other absorbent material. For rabbit-pellets and samples of similar size petri-dishes are ideal, but for cow, horse and similar types of dung large covered dishes such as casseroles or sandwich containers are very good. Samples should not be kept in airtight containers for long periods of time as under such conditions animal life present rapidly breaks down the dung and induces anaerobic conditions. Instead larvae and earthworms should be excluded from the sample as they decompose the dung and inhibit fungal growth but their activity can be reduced, if causing a problem, by spraying the sample lightly with a proprietary fly-kill aerosol. By keeping the dung under constant observation during incubation a whole succession of fungi can be seen. Thus the first fungi to appear are the moulds which although numerous need a microscope for their identification. The moulds are followed by a series of Ascomycetes (_Sporormia_ & _Sordaria_ with flask-shaped fruit-bodies and _Iodophanus_, _Coprobia_ and _Cheilymenia_ with disc-shaped fruit-bodies), which are best sought with the use of a powerful hand-lens or a stereoscopic binocular microscope when their full beauty will be revealed. However, because they need the aid of instruments even to see them they cannot be considered larger fungi. The fruit-bodies of the Basidiomycetes are readily seen with the naked eye, but a hand-lens is still very useful for observing features of the cap and stem, particularly the veil characters. The Basidiomycetes usually conclude the succession of fungi found on dung and soon after this state the dung is colonised by mosses and higher plants and later it is fully incorporated into the soil. [Illustration: Plate 72. Dung-fungi: Cup fungi and allies]