Oct. 1, 1863.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



221 



vocates, and. if they fail we doubt the fault is else- 

 where, and not with the Club. ".I speak as to wise 

 men, judge ye what I say." 



The first report announced that 155 members had 

 enrolled themselves ; the second, that this number 

 had increased to 273 ; and the third, that the total 

 had reached 382. This is the first fact to be noticed, 

 that in three years nearly 400 microscopists have 

 united themselves into an association for their 

 mutual benefit. How does it pay ? suggests some 

 one who has an eye to the balance-sheet. The close 

 of the first year left a balance of £13 in the hands 

 of the treasurer; of the second year, [a balance of 

 £35 ; and of the third year, a balance of £62. 

 Another important fact, which we submit for the 

 consideration of those kind friends who have been 

 loud in their protestations that the Club could 

 never be kept going upon so small a contribution as 

 ten shillings a year, and no entrance fee — "It 

 moves still!" Pinally, what is the prospect of the 

 cabinet of objects ? In 1866 the number of slides 

 presented was 123 ; in 1S67 this was augmented to 

 263; and in 1868 the number reached was 700. 

 Here again is another evidence, if evidence were re- 

 quired, that we are correct in the remark that the 

 success of the Club has been unprecedented, and 

 that the prospect is as bright as ever. For a record 

 of what has been done during the three years we 

 must refer our readers to previous ^notices which 

 have been published in this journal, to the reports 

 for the three years, and to the journal of the Club. 

 Should any further information be required, it will 

 be furnished freely and frankly by the indefatigable 

 secretary of the Club, in reply to any communica- 

 tions addressed to our office. 



We are occasionally asked what is the best course 

 for a person to adopt who desires to become a 

 microscopist. To this we have only one reply — 

 although it includes two actions — read our Gossip, 

 and join our Club ! 



FAIRY-RINGS. 



TT has long been known that the clusters of spores 

 -*- of the red rust often contain amongst them the 

 bilocular spores of the wheat mildew ; and the 

 many-celled spores of the bramble-brand may at this 

 time be found associated with the one-celled rust on 

 the under surface of bramble leaves. It is admitted 

 that the red rust and the mildew of corn are phases 

 or conditions of the same fungus, and that both 

 forms may proceed from the same mycelium. The 

 same may be said of the rust and brand of the 

 bramble, and of other species of TJredines and 

 Puccinia. Hitherto, however, it has scarcely been 

 suspected that two very different species of gill- 

 bearing fungi should arise from the same mycelium 

 and be, in fact, only conditions of one species. 



Although we are prepared to accept any such facts 

 when proven, we hesitate to adopt conclusions based 

 upon imperfect evidence. 



The Woolhope Naturalists' Eield Club has just 

 issued a very handsome volume of their "Trans- 

 actions" for 1S67, and herein we find a paper by 

 Mrs. Key, " On the probable identity of Agaricus 

 Georgii and Agaricus campestris." Before quoting 

 the reasons alleged for such identity, we must pro- 

 test against the want of scientific accuracy evinced 

 by reference to Agaricus Georgii, without defining 

 tohat Agaricus Georgii is meant. If the Agaricus 

 Georgii of Sowerby is intended, that is the " horse- 

 mushroom," or Agaricus arvensis of Schoeffer ; but 

 if the Agaricus Georgii of Linnseus is meant, then it 

 is the Agaricus gambosus of Fries, and also of 

 Berkeley. The latter is a white-spored, the former 

 a brownish-spored, species. Which is intended? 

 Probably the former, a close ally of Agaricus cam- 

 pestris. 



Mrs. Key writes: — "A few years ago a ring 

 under a tree, not a hundred yards from Stretton 

 Rectory, produced in the early part of summer a 

 crop of these large, thick, pale-gilled agarics, which 

 the cook, of course, pronounced unwholesome, and 

 useless for the table. Two mouths later the same 

 ring produced a second and very abundant crop ; 

 but this time it consisted of undoubted and very 

 fine A. campestris, four to six inches across, thin, 

 slender stemmed, and with fully-coloured gills. They 

 were cooked without hesitation, and were excellent. 

 In previous and subsequent years this ring has 

 always borne A. Georgii of the most decided type." 



Let us here observe, before proceeding with the 

 narrative, that the Agaricus arvensis Schoeff. (the 

 supposed A. Georgii above alluded to) is not " un- 

 wholesome and useless for the table," but, in our 

 opinion, quite equal to Agaricus campestris, fuller 

 flavoured, but none the worse on that account. 



" Last year (1866), in the same meadow, but in a 

 part far away from any hedge or tree, the reverse 

 occurred : a large fairy-ring, hitherto always pro- 

 ducing small, highly coloured and flavoured mush- 

 rooms of the best type, was crowded with com- 

 paratively small A. Georgii; and this variety ap- 

 peared in a third spot of the same meadow near a 

 tree, where two years ago very good and fine 

 A. campestris grew. 



"Further, in an adjoining field there grew, five or 

 six years ago, in a ring near the hedge, a very 

 abundant crop of the dark-brown variety of A. cam- 

 pestris, with slender stems, and caps quite thin and 

 flat on reaching their full growth : last year (1866) 

 this ring had A. Georgii growing in it. The A. Georgii 

 variety appeared unusually plentiful in 1S66. I 

 noticed scattered specimens in quite open fields, 

 where A. campestris would have been expected, as it 

 more often grows in a detached manner than the 

 so called ' Georgii? Every degree of colour, and 



