99 



OCTOBER 1th, 1910. 



Fungus Foray. 



Leader.— \^. J. Lucas, B.A., F.E.S., 



Mr. Lucas reports. — " On October 7th, the last excursion of the 

 season, the Fungus Foray, took place, the hunting-ground being 

 Oxshott Heath and Esher Common. The day was not an ideal one 

 as regards weather, though the little rain that fell was not sufficient 

 to interfere with proceedings. This, however, may have had something 

 to do with the fact that but six members (Messrs. Sich, Turner, Kaye, 

 Gibb, Ashdown, Lucas) and one visitor were present. The Selborne 

 Society and the Wimbledon Natural History Society, we found, 

 were present on the same quest as ourselves. They were under the 

 leadership of Dr. Somerville Hastings, Mr. A. A. Pearson, and Miss 

 E. M. Wakefield, and, as some of their party were known to us, we 

 decided to join forces. Consequently about 40 naturalists were 

 piloted through the pine-woods by the various leaders, 



"Specially interestmg is the fungus-flora of the pine-woods, if 

 only from the fact that many species will grow in such a habitat 

 and nowhere else. Of course Sparasda crispa of which our Society 

 has previously found on its forays such fine examples, received 

 marked attention. Several clumps, which were not inaptly com- 

 pared to the inside of a cauliflower, were met with on this occasion, 

 and an attempt was made to trace the " stem " of one down to the 

 roots of a Scotch-fir, near one of which trees the species seems 

 always to grow. Dr. Hastings considers that the fungus kills the 

 trees, and was locating examples for further observation. Biisunla 

 emeticn, with its vivid red cap, was met with everywhere on the 

 ground, as were many other species, some brilliant in colour, others 

 more soberly clad. The strange little yellowish fungus, Leotia 

 luhrica, was found in one spot, and the gelatinous hydnum, known 

 as 'Iremellodon i/elatinoanni, on several stumps ; but what seemed to 

 interest the party most was the discovery of a bed of a small black 

 club-shaped fungus about an inch or so high, called Conlt/ceps 

 ojihiof/lossoides. This fungus peeps up amongst the fir-needles, and, 

 when dug-out, is found to be parasitic on the false truffle, FAaplio- 

 mijces {jranidatii^, a fungus about the size and consistency of a 

 chestnut. The presence of these underground truffles would scarce 

 be detected if it were not for the presence above ground of the 

 sporophores of the parasite. Many of the truffles were brought to 

 light, not all of course being parasitised. Judging by the fact that 



