50-1 WILD TLOWERS OF 



growth of the Agarics. Some botanists have con- 

 sidered that the fairy ring was originated by an agaric 

 disseminating its spores in a circular manner, and a 

 small ring being thus formed, the size of the circles 

 increased with every succeeding year ; but it does not 

 appear perfectly clear that the rings do increase in 

 size, and certainly as regards the fungi upon them 

 they seem suddenly to appear at once in good sized 

 rings, but they are often very irregular in their out- 

 line. The old superstition that represented them as 

 made by the dancing of fairy elves surely implies the 

 sudden appearance of a large circle, nor have I met 

 with very small ones, as supposed in the above theory. 

 CLAEE, alluding to the fairy origin of the rings, 



says 



" Light soon betrays 'em where their routs have been, 



Their printing foot-marks leave a magic dye, 



The grass grows gloomy in a darker green, 



And look for years to come, and still the place is seen." * 



The beauty of colour and diversity of form of the 

 race of fungi are very remarkable, and well repay 

 attentive inspection. Some, as the Amanita imperialis, 

 adorn the wood with caps of the richest scarlet on 

 white stems ; others, as the Ayaricus integer spot the 

 coppice with lake or crimson ; or in the A. violaceus 

 and callockrous, display the most beautiful hues of 

 purple and violet. 



Hilly pastures are very favourable to the growth of 

 fungi, and I have often been delighted with the bril- 

 liant tints bespangling the turf upon the Malvern 

 hills at this period of the year, from, the splendid 

 yellow and orange hues of the sportive A. aurantius, 

 and the deep verdigrise hue of the stalk of A. psitta- 



* Village Minstrel. 



