THOMAS HOPKIRK OF DALBETH. 237 



Under the name of Tremella Sabince he records the 

 Savin Podisoma (P. Sabince, Fr.), which is now 

 recognised as a state of the Roestelia cancellata on 

 leaves of the Pear. He says of it : 



"For several years past, this singular production 

 has regularly made its appearance about the middle 

 of May, upon a young plant of the Juniperus 

 Sabina, in Dalbeth garden. 



"When examined by a good microscope, it seems 

 to consist of a mass of fibres running irregularly 

 across each other, interspersed with many opaque, 

 globular bodies, probably the seed. 



"Last summer I cut a branch of the Savine tree, 

 upon which this plant was accustomed to grow, 

 almost in two, so as to occasion its death. The 

 rudiments of the Tremella made their appearance 

 upon the dead branch at the same time with 

 those upon the living ones ; but the former scarcely 

 attained the size of a large iDin-head, whilst the 

 latter in the course of two days attained their full 

 size, being nearly an inch long. 



"From this circumstance, from its regularity in 

 appearing within a few days of the same time each 

 year, and from its indissolubility not only in water 

 but even in spirits — having kept a quantity of it in 

 spirit of wine for nearly two years without any 

 dissolution of its substance — I am much inclined to 

 suppose it a vegetable, and not merely a gummy 

 exudation." 



This you will all admit to be a rational conclusion. 



Of the Scotch Bonnets (Marasmiiis oreades, Fr.) 

 he says: "On the ground in pastures, frequently 

 forming circles called fairy rings." 



He observes of the Horse Mushroom (Agaricus 

 Georgii, Sow., Psalliota arvensis, SchoefP.) : 



"A plant . . . probably of this species was 

 found in the neighbourhood of Paisley, which was 

 nine inches high, forty-three in circumference, and 

 weighed five pounds, six ounces." 



Another of great size which he chronicles is the 

 Scaly Boletus (B. squamosiis). He says : 



