l68 ESSEX FIELD CLUB'S " FUNGUS FORAY." 



ing groups, the members of which happen to mature during the 

 spring and summer. Such a hst indicates at a glance the fact 

 that the Society in question is not interested in fungi from a 

 scientific standpoint, but simph- repeats annually, in an auto- 

 matic manner, a custom which originated by chance rather than 

 design. The remedy for this state of affairs is obvious. 



[At our request, Mr. Massee has added a short Hst and analyses of works 

 suitable for the student, which our members may find useful. 



The following books deal exhaustively with different groups of Micro- 

 fungi. All are illustrated : — 



A Monograph of the British Uiedinea' and Ustilaginea:. C. B. Plowright- 

 Kegan, Paul, French & Co. 8s. 6d. This book deals with the life-history and 

 classification of those destructive parasites popularly known as producing 

 " Rust,' " Smut," " Bunt," &c., on cereals and other cultivated and wild 

 plants. 



British Fungi : Phycomyceles and Ustilaginea. G. Massee. Lovell Reeve 

 & Co. 7s. 6d. Contains a general introduction to the study of Fungi, and 

 descriptions of all British species included under the two families mentioned. 



British Fungus-Flora. G. Massee. George Bell & Sons. Four volumes, 

 7s. 6d. per volume. Vol. III. contains the Hyphomycetes, poplarly known as 

 'Moulds" and "Mildews.'' The species are minute, but exceptionally 

 beautiful as microscopical objects. Vol. IV. is devoted to the Discomycetes. 

 a group including the fungi known under the general names " Peziza," 

 ' Morel," &c. The species are abundant, very beautiful in form and colour, 

 and from a biological stand-point they are exceedingly interesting. 



To these may be added the following, which will be most useful to those 

 wishing to take up the study from an economical point of view, so necessary 

 to farmers, gardeners and foresters : — 



A Text-book of Plant Diseases caused by Cryptogamic Parasites. G. Massee. 

 Duckworth & Co. 5s. nett. This is a hand-book of plant diseases, not too 

 techuical, with descriptions of the most approved curative and preventiv 

 methods. 



Diseases of Field and Garden Crops, chiefly such as are caused by Fungi. 

 Worthington G. Smith. Macmillan. 4s. 6d. 



Text-book of the Diseases of Trees. Dr. Hartig. Translated by Prof. 

 Somerville. Macmillan. 



Tifuber and some of its Diseases. Prof. Marshall Ward. Macmillan. 6s. 



We know that our thoughtful members will accept Mr. Massee's criti- 

 cism of our annual " Fungus Meetings" as being in a large sense deserved. 

 We have long felt the unsatisfying nature of the occupation which consists in 

 picking up an Agaric, greeting it with a learned uame, and then throwing it 

 away ! The neglect of the smaller — but, to a biologist, the more interesting 

 minute forms — is also a sad feature, which should no longer be allowed to dis- 

 figure our Cryptogamic assemblies. But it .should be remembered that our 

 Club is not especially a Mycological Society, and we may plead, in arrest of 

 judgment, that the Fungus Flora of Epping Forest was practically unknown 

 until our " Forays " began, 19 years ago, to afford materials for the lists of the 



