rJOS FETCH : 



Apparently he liad for the mouient forgotten Gardner's 

 Lentinus cartilagineiis. The occurrence of Podaxon in such 

 situations in South Africa appears to have been common 

 knowledge ; in " Hooker's London Journal of Botan}^" II. 

 (1843), pp. 200-205, Berkeley stated that Poc^aaro??, carcmomalis 

 grew on ant-hills in South Africa, but I have not been able to 

 trace any earlier reference. The habitat is not stated in the 

 original description of that species in Linn. fil. Supplement, 

 p. 453 ; and, as far as I am aware. Podaxon has never been 

 associated with termite nests in India. 



The letter referred to above elicited several comments. In 

 the " Gardeners" Chi-onicle." 1869, p. 896, W. CKfford, who 

 claimed acquaintance with Bengal, wTote : " I have had to 

 deal with vast numbers of white ants in my time. From what 

 I know of the soil of their nests, I should think it valueless for 

 gro^\'ing mushrooms." He was followed by C. H. , also of Indian 

 experience, who wrote {loc. cit., p. 920) : "I cannot conceive 



white ant earth being an}' use in gardening The onlj' 



growth I have ever observed on it, or in the nests, was that of 

 a very small fungus, less in size than an ordinary pin head, and 

 often mistaken for the egg of the termites, in shape resembling 

 a button mushroom of a white colour." Mean\\hile, Berke- 

 ley's correspondent was justif^dng his statements, and in the 

 " Gardeners' Chjonicle," 1869, p. 1306, Berkeley was able to 

 make the following communication : — 



" A good deal of interest has lately been excited in India, 

 especially about the Neilghen-ies, as to the possibility of 

 raising mushrooms artificially. It was known that an esculent 

 fungus is occasionally developed on white ants' nests, and 

 experiments have been made at Bangalore with white ants' 

 nest soil. We have just received a quantity of agarics, 

 preserved in alcohol, which have appeared on it, but we have 

 no information as to whether they have proved to be useful 

 esculents or not. The species is certainly undescribcd, but 

 approaching in sf)me respects one of which we have a drawing 

 transmitted from Ceylon by the late Dr. Gardner, with strong 

 twisted gregarious stems arising from a common base. It does 

 not, however, appear anxmg the numerous figiu'cs which have 

 been sent us by Mr. Thwaites, so that Dr. Gardner's agaric is 



