1 34 Shm't Coimmini cations i — 



The dried specimens of funguses sent by Mr. Christy are 

 affixed to four tablets of paper, and are thereon named ^gari- 

 cus squarrosus Miiller, A. peronatus BolL^ A. emeticus Schaejff] 

 A* pratensis Pers. The place and time in which they were 

 obtained are added : the time, as to the year, is 1830. Their 

 appearance on the paper is very pleasing, and their character- 

 istics seem most satisfactorily exhibited. A» squarrosus is 

 illustrated by one specimen, very young ; a vertical section of 

 another, a little older ; a profile of one full grown ; and a 

 vertical section of another full grown : this last shows the 

 relative thickness of the pileus, the depth of the gills, and the 

 structure of the stipes. A. peronatus is shown in two pro- 

 files and two vertical sections : A, emeticus by a profile and 

 two vertical sections ; the external colour of the pileus is a 

 fine fulvous red : A, pratensis by two profiles, and four ver- 

 tical sections of as many plants in progressive stages of 

 growth. The condition of all the specimens proves the excel- 

 lence of this mode of preparing them, and this must render a 

 knowledge of it very useful to every student of F(xugu We 

 hope to see a descriptive notice of it given in the volume on the 

 funguses of Britain, now in preparation by Dr. Hooker : it 

 will then be under the eye of every one who may endeavour, 

 by the help of that work, to attain an acquaintance with these 

 plants. — J, D, 



Art. VIII. Short Communications, 



Mammiferous Animals. — Fooc at Deptford, — Sir,lscarcely 

 know whether you will think it worth noticing among your 

 Short Communications, that a fox should have established an 

 " at home " within four miles of London Bridge. My garden 

 is one that is rather remarkable for having its own way. Some 

 years ago, I took a great deal of pains to introduce into it all 

 kinds of wild flowers, shrubs, and trees, and these have grown 

 uninterruptedly and formed large masses of underwood, 

 which, being principally composed of bramble and dog-rose, 

 have established a seat of empire not easily to be shaken. 

 What is termed, vulgarly, a tide-ditch, elegantly, a canal, 

 which the river Thames fills at high water, surrounds more 

 than two thirds of the garden. In this spot a fox established 

 his abode, and made himself very happy for more than six 

 weeks. The neighbours lost their fowls, ducks, pigeons, and 

 rabbits. Many a long face have I seen pulled about their 

 losses ; many a complaint of the " howdaciousness " of the 

 rats, the cats, the thieves, and the new police ; in all which I 



