INTRODUCTION. xv 



obferved to make their appearance at their refpective feafons, in one and 

 the fame place ; — on the contrary, the Agaricus elephantinus grew abun- 

 dantly in the Shroggs, and feveral other woods about Halifax, in October, 

 1786 ; this prefent year, 1787, I have not found more than one or two 

 plants of it. 



In the year 1785, the Peziza cprnucopoides came up abundantly in one 

 place, in the laft-named wood, but has not fince grown there. 



In September, 1777, the H&hella mitra, grew plentifully in feveral 

 woods, in hedges, under trees, and even in pastures and meadows, in this 

 neighbourhood ; and fince then, in the fpace of ten years, though my re- 

 fearches have been regularly kept up, I have not met with more than three 

 or four fpecimens of that rare plant. 



Thefe obfervations bring to my mind others of a like nature, which 

 I have formerly made on the Fugacity of fome infects, viz. the Painted 

 Lady Butterfly, (Papilio Car dm, of Lixn^us) was fo plentiful about Hali- 

 fax, in 1780, that fcarce a field was without them -, in fields where flower- 

 ing plants grew, particularly the Scabiofafuccifa, and Trifolium pratenfe, it 

 was eafy, with a common bag net, to catch ten or fifteen fpecimens in the 

 fpace of an hour or two 3 but fince that time, or for ten years before, that 

 in feci: has been very rarely, or not at ail iccn in this part of York/hire. 

 The like remarks hold good, in a leffer degree, in refpect to the Papilio 

 atal.mta, Phalama meticu/o/a, &c. and to fome Birds, viz. the Lanius 

 collurio, Loxia recwcirojlra, T'urdus tur qua tits, &c. 



Some fpecies of Fungi are perennial and abiding, as the l&phceria tuber- 

 culofa ; others, though they die and fall away annually, have an abiding 

 cr perennial root, as the Sphezria hypoxylon. 



The Phallus impudicns, a rare plant here, I have obferved to grow three 

 iuccefiive years, in the lame hand's breadth of ground, though I took up 



the 



