The Scottish Naturalist. 197 



In moving a vote of thanks to Dr. Cooke, the Rev Mr Fergusson, of 

 Fern, said — I am sure that I express not only my own, but the feelings of 

 all the members of the Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, when I say that 

 we are deeply indebted to those distinguished English Cryptogamists who 

 have come so far to honour us with their presence at our meeting, and to 

 aid us in so brotherly a way by their wider and more varied experience, and 

 larger knowledge. More particularly are we indebted to Dr. Cooke, whose 

 name is so well known everywhere in connection with Fungi ; for he has 

 not only come all the way from London, but has also been at the trouble to 

 prepare this most interesting and important paper which he has just read 

 to us. Before moving a hearty vote of thanks to him for this paper, I may 

 perhaps be allowed to say a very few words on some of the points contained 

 in it. We in Scotland know very little about Fungi ; and for a long time, until 

 quite recently we had been doing very little that was worth mentioning — 

 but lately some of us have been working up the Fungi of the north of Scot- 

 land — though quietly not altogether unsuccessfully. The result has been, 

 that though many of those species which Dr. Cooke has advised us to look 

 for, have been looked for unfortunately without success, there are othei - s 

 which have been found. sEcidium pamassia: has been found both by Mr. 

 Anderson of St. Andrews and myself, in several localities, but except on 

 one occasion never in any quantity. So far as yet appears it must still be 

 considered as rather rare. Puccinia chrysosplenii though apparently local 

 has been found in so many places that it can hardly be considered as rare. 

 Puccinia rhodiolce has also been met with, far removed from Clova and 

 Glen Callader, but the localities, for reasons which can be appreciated by 

 many members of the Society, are not at present divulged. Again, Puccinia 

 dandestina was discovered by Mr Anderson and myself in company, but 

 only in one spot and veiy sparingly indeed. Dr. Buchanan White has 

 gathered Uredo empetri in Rannoch, and I believe that I have also 

 gathered it in the north-east of Scotland. Moreover Mr. Anderson and my- 

 self once came upon Vibrissia mar^anta in great abundance. With regard 

 to Puccinia fabcc, I may say that the Rev. Mr. Keith of Forres, and others, 

 have gathered not only the Uromyces but the Puccinia state of this species, and 

 that this latter state seems not very unfrequent in Scotland in certain seasons. 

 I may further mention that though I am put down as the discoverer of 

 Eustegia arundinacea, my friend Mr. Stevenson is really the discoverer of that 

 species, which indeed I have never seen. I am also credited with some 

 of Mr. Anderson's discoveries ; and some of the localities given by Mr. 

 Berkeley for our gatherings are occasionally mistaken ; but this is not to be 

 wondered at. The wonder is that, considering the thousands of speci- 

 mens which pass yearly through his hands, he makes so very few mistakes. 

 Other species mentioned by Dr. Cooke as worthy of our search, have 

 already been discovered in Scotland. Amongst these are Stictis pallida, 

 Helotium ochraceum, Helotium clarqflavtim, Peziza Grevillei, &c, and there 

 are not a few of the Appin species of Captain Carmichael which have come 

 to light elsewhere. But we are under large obligations to Dr. Cooke for 

 calling attention, in this seasonable and important paper, to species which 

 ought to be re-discovered, or which have not yet been, but are likely to be 

 met with in Scotland. It is of the utmost importance to know what to 

 look for, and where to look for it. Dr. Cooke has largely helped us in this 

 way, and I beg to move that we accord him a hearty vote of thanks. 



