﻿OF 
  BRITISH 
  FUNGI. 
  67 
  

  

  ring, 
  much 
  narrower 
  than 
  the 
  inner, 
  and 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  

   grass 
  is 
  either 
  short 
  and 
  weak, 
  or 
  faded 
  and 
  brown, 
  

   remarkably 
  contrasting 
  with 
  the 
  vivid 
  green 
  of 
  the 
  

   inner 
  ring 
  : 
  on 
  this 
  brown 
  ring, 
  or 
  just 
  upon 
  its 
  margin, 
  

   fungi 
  are 
  found. 
  The 
  duration 
  of 
  fairy-rings 
  varies 
  

   much 
  ; 
  some 
  disappear 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  weeks, 
  others 
  endure 
  

   for 
  years. 
  A 
  severe 
  winter 
  will 
  obliterate 
  the 
  external 
  

   traces 
  of 
  a 
  ring, 
  and 
  prevent 
  the 
  usual 
  crop 
  of 
  fungi 
  

   appearing 
  upon 
  it 
  at 
  the 
  proper 
  season 
  ; 
  but 
  such 
  rings 
  

   often 
  reappear, 
  and 
  are 
  thus 
  considered 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   suddenly 
  formed. 
  During 
  the 
  whole 
  course 
  of 
  their 
  

   appearance 
  the 
  rings 
  increase 
  in 
  diameter, 
  spreading 
  

   outwards 
  from 
  the 
  centre, 
  the 
  faded 
  brown 
  circle 
  becom- 
  

   ing 
  rank 
  with 
  green 
  and 
  copious 
  grass, 
  and 
  a 
  fresh 
  outer 
  

   circle 
  being 
  formed 
  of 
  dead 
  or 
  feeble 
  blades 
  of 
  grass. 
  

   The 
  rate 
  of 
  increase 
  is 
  various, 
  some 
  enlarging 
  their 
  

   diameter 
  a 
  few 
  inches 
  in 
  the 
  year, 
  others 
  as 
  many 
  feet. 
  

   The 
  circles 
  frequently 
  meet 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  this 
  

   gradual 
  enlargement, 
  In 
  such 
  cases 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  con- 
  

   tact 
  becomes 
  obliterated 
  ; 
  and 
  when 
  this 
  contact 
  occurs 
  

   between 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  several 
  such 
  rings, 
  the 
  oblitera- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  parts 
  which 
  meet 
  leaves 
  a 
  variety 
  of 
  seg- 
  

   ments 
  of 
  circles 
  upon 
  the 
  turf, 
  which, 
  pursuing 
  an 
  

   independent 
  course, 
  and 
  some 
  increasing 
  more 
  rapidly 
  

   than 
  others, 
  present 
  eventually 
  an 
  unaccountable 
  irre- 
  

   gularity, 
  and, 
  as 
  it 
  were, 
  patchwork 
  of 
  greener 
  and 
  

   paler, 
  stronger 
  and 
  weaker, 
  portions 
  of 
  turf. 
  When 
  

   the 
  turf 
  is 
  cut 
  through 
  such 
  a 
  ring 
  at 
  two 
  contiguous 
  

   points, 
  so 
  that 
  a 
  breadth 
  is 
  taken 
  up 
  from 
  the 
  inner 
  

   rank 
  green, 
  through 
  the 
  faded 
  breadth, 
  to 
  the 
  outer 
  

  

  f 
  2 
  

  

  