ON CUBAN rrNai. 281 



dispersed species ; 12 per cent, are common to the island and 



Central America, together with the warmer parts of South Ame- 

 rica and Mexico ; 3 per cent, are common to it with the United 

 States, especially the more southern ; while 13 per cent, are 

 European species, including, however, 13 which may be con- 

 sidered cosmopolitan. Some cou^mon tropical species, as Foly- 

 porus xanthoptcs and Hexagonia tenuis^ do not occur in the col- 

 lections ; and on the whole the general character seems subtropical 

 rather than tropical. Many of the species, however, are de- 

 cidedly tliose of temperate regions, or, at least, nearly allied. 

 In the pine-forests we have such species as Folypo^ms pinicolaj 

 -P. ScJnveinitzii, and P. cmnosits^ which call to mind the Fungi of 

 our oAvn country or Northern Europe, while Hydnnm hirneoloides 

 replaces II. gelatinosum. Unfortunately, though the date at 

 which they were gathered often accompanies the specimens, 

 there is no indication of the respective altitudes, which would 

 enable us to judge more accurately as regards the distinctive 

 characters of the Fungal flora. 



The months in which Hymcnomj^cetes abound most in Cuba are 

 December, January, and May ; next to these in order are Fe- 

 bruary, October, and November, the fewest occurring in April 

 and September. Species, however, occur at all times of the year, 

 though there are five times as few in September, which is the 

 least prolific month, as in December, which is the most so. 

 The hottest months are July and August, and the coldest De- 

 cember and January, which yield the greatest number of species, 

 though not much more numerous thnn in May. Though the 

 climate in general is liot and dry during tlie greater \)avt of the 

 year, rain occasionally falls in torrents from July to September ; 

 but the moisture is not sustained with sufficient uniformity to be 

 very productive; for, as a general rule, the times of greatest rain 

 are usually those in which the most Fungi appear, though this is 

 ^^ot without exceptions. The occasional showers Mhich fall be- 

 fore July and after September account for the large number of 

 species in May, and the excess in October and November above 

 the numbers in tlie less prolific months ; while it is to be observed 

 that in the colder months, which are so productive, the depression 

 of the thermometer so low as 50^ or 53"^ is rare, while in summer it 

 does not rise above 82'' or 8(}° *, and in the highlands it is pro- 

 bably much lov.er, except in some confined spots. The mean tem- 

 perature of December and January, in which the number of species 



* The inetporolncripftl fletiiUrt arft taken froni the * Imi>erial Gh^zetteer.' 



