I have been searching the leaf litter looking for bugs and other crawly things when I stumble upon a cluster of Devil's Urn Mushrooms (Urnula craterium).
Devil's Urns or Crater Cups are one of the first mushrooms to arise in the spring. They grow off fallen hardwood that is decaying on or under the ground. The dark inner surface is the fruiting surface that produces spores.
Devil's Urns produce chemicals that inhibit the growth of other fungi. And, they evidently produce an audible sound when the release their spores.
