lOA NOTES ON FUNGI, FORESTAL AND OTHERS. 



I have been informed recently, that the curious Lactarins ohliquus has been 

 found, and is to be recorded for Epping Forest. I am very glad of this, 

 because no one but myself ever found it previously in this country, and I am 

 confident its determination was looked upon with suspicion, in some quarters. 

 It is the only species of Lactarins we have with a lateral stem. 



Now we come to the great sphinx which has been the major conundrum 

 for years, and I do not intend, or pretend, to solve it. Of course it is repre- 

 sented by Hypholoma lacrymabundus and the supposed Agaricus storea. Let 

 anyone who pleases hunt up all the pages that have been written, but I shall 

 not quote them here. I am convinced that M. J. B. led me into error in 

 assuring me that what I figured as H. lacrymabundus, was that species accord- 

 ing to Fries. I am now satisfied, for several reasons, that it was not, and was 

 doubtless only a form of H. velutinus, with a scaly, instead of a silky pileus 

 The next point is this — what is the fungus which has been called here Agaricus 

 storea ? and figured as such in the Illustrations. It is very certain that it is not 

 the Agaricus storea of Fries., whatever else it may be. .Vt present 1 do not feel 

 quite satisfied that it is the veritable Hypholoma lacrymabundus of Fries. I 

 cannot swallow the whole pig at once. 



PI. 703 which was sent to Fries, also with fresh specimens, was declared 

 by him to be Cortinarius saginus, and was published under that name. Doubt- 

 less it was a lapse of memory on the part of the author, since the figure is 

 only Cortinarius triumphans, yet perhaps not quite typical, as the stem in the 

 figure does not '• imitate a triumphal column " neither is it encircled by tawny 

 scales, disposed in numerous circles or rings. This is depicted better in plate 

 692, than in pi. 703, which latter has been characterised as " one of the best 

 figures in Cooke's Illustrations." However critics are sometimes permitted to 

 make mistakes, to prove themselves human. 



Cortinarius tonus has long been a bogie to most of the Continental 

 mycologists, who certainly have fallen into error in regarding Cortinarius 

 berkeleyi as the genuine Cortinarius torvus of Fries. The figure in Fries' hones 

 is quite enough to show that there is no affinity between them 



I ought to feel extremely grateful for your kindness this 

 evening in listening to me sj patiently, more so than ever, 

 because I have done so little to deserve it, except to bore you and 

 tantalize you with the most uninteresting and unattractive paper 

 I ever had the effrontery to read before you. My only excuse is 

 that it had to be done. Some victims had to be found, and I 

 hoped you would be good naturecl ones, and in this I h?ve not 

 been disappointed. 



[Dr. Cooke continued his address in the form of one of his 

 humorous analyses of the persons attending " Fungtis Forays," 

 especially urging the \alue of the social element of such gather- 

 ings. — Ed.] 



