1 50 The Field Naturalist's Quarterly May 



fonientarius (not Formes^ as printed on p. 12) is a hard woody fungus, 

 and was formerly much used for tinder before modern matches came 

 into existence. Entoloma siniiatuni (not swuata) the present writer has 

 always treated as poisonous on the authority of the eminent mycologist, 

 Mr Worthington George Smith. He ate about a quarter of an ounce of 

 this fungus, and the result was nearly fatal. It produced headache, 

 swimming of the brain, stomach-pains, and vomiting. Has Mr Swanton 

 any proof that Cmttharellus aurantiacus is poisonous ? We know of 

 two persons who ate it with impunity, and the text-books say " reckoned 

 poisonous." Are we to regard A?na?iita stroinbolifor)iiis as a species new 

 to science, or is this only a misprint for A. strobiliformis ? Probably 

 the latter, as we find Polypooreoe and Mitrophora setniledra on pp. 7 

 and 41 respectively. The plates are somewhat crude, as is to be 

 expected from the price, and we recommend the artist to further study 

 the magnificent paintings of Mr Worthington E. Smith at the British 

 Museum. 



Messrs Duckworth have in the press European Fungus Flora : i. 

 Agaricace^, by George Massee, F.L.S., a work which is practically a 

 synopsis of the European Agaricaceas, giving the specific characters of 

 over 2000 species of Agarics. Keeping in view the fact that the essen- 

 tial features of many Agarics can only be observed satisfactorily in the 

 field, the present book will be kept within the limits of a field-book or 

 hand-book, not adding much to the impedimenta of the traveller or 

 tourist. In addition to the scientific descriptions, edible and poisonous 

 species are notified, as are also those fungi which are known to be 

 injurious to cultivated plants. 



Field Clubs and Societies. 



On March 22 the Essex Field Club celebrated its coming of age, and 

 Professor Meldola, the President, delivered an address to the members. 

 In the opening words of that address, " Not often does it fall to the 

 lot of the same individual to be called upon to occupy the presidential 

 chair after an interval of twenty-one years." That, however, was Pro- 

 fessor Meldola's happy position on this occasion, a position which both 

 he and the Essex Field Club are to be most heartily congratulated upon. 

 His address dealt with the personnel of the club past and present, and 

 then a review of the more important pieces of work which have been 

 placed upon record in the volumes of the club's Magazine, the ' Essex 

 Naturalist.' The list is an astonishing one, and emphasises what we 

 have said elsewhere of the great value to the members and the public 

 of these societies. It is quite impossible here even to indicate the 

 subjects that have been dealt with, and we would advise all those in 

 any way interested in the county of Essex and Epping Forest to obtain 

 Professor Meldola's address, which has most rightly been reprinted. 

 Probably no field club in the country numbers so many eminent natur- 



