themselves ; but when tliis is temporary or in moist weather, little trace of it is seen. A. Georgii makes 

 immense rings in whicli the robust family hudcUe so tliickly together, as must destroy the grass for the 

 season, in the same manner that A. oreades does, if the crop were repeated ; but it does not last long, being 

 merely vernal, so that by midsummer no trace of its giant circles remains. A. oreades keeps on injuring the 

 grass at intervals, so that it gets no opportunity of rallying throughout the summer ; but in winter and 

 early spring, it makes up for the temporary apparent death, and is doubly vigorous and green. This was 

 not the case when, to test an experiment reported of the effect of boiling water in accelerating the growth of 

 spawn, a philosophical friend created an artificial " Fairy-ring " by the tea-kettle spout : no " redoubled 

 vigour" succeeded to the temporary rest, but a bare, bald circle long reproached the unlucky experi- 

 mentalist, while Nature's " Fairy-rings " close by, stood up several inches higher than the rest of the lawn 

 in verdure ! 



Whether decayed Agarics are not excellent manure, may be liere enquired ? Probably they are, their 

 chemical composition warrants the supposition, and if so, the renewed vigour of the grass may be owing to 

 that quality in them ; they may " heal the wounds they make." That long lines and irregular forms are 

 described by Agarics instead of perfect circles, is owing to accidental causes ; in fact, their- various figures 

 are generally parts of injured or interrupted rings, and the patches are never of greater breadth than tlie 

 usual dimensions of the true ring. To remove them where unsightly, (and A. oreades abounds on lawns,) 

 digging completely out the space they occupy, is the only effectual plan ; no superficial treatment affects the 

 spawn beneath. 



Of the Agarics we have brought together in one view to contrast with A. oreades, A. dealbatus is tlie 

 only one that imitates it in forming a " Fairy-ring." 



