SESSION 1894-95. Ixxi 



tliiit when a person stai-ts with the object of collecting funiii, 

 and visits suitable localities, and at the proper season, he naturally 

 expects to find at least a certain number, even if the primary 

 object is not realized the attempt is not a failure, as might at 

 first sight be considered. In fact, such partial disappointments 

 often lead to unexpected results ; meteoric conditions and other 

 factors likely to account in some manner for the unexpected 

 results are carefully noted, and in course of time repeated obser- 

 vations show that what was at first considered as an anomaly 

 resolves itself into a law. 



Whether this problem had been worked out by the members 

 of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society, and as a body 

 they were assured in their own minds that few or no fungi could 

 be found in the autumn of 1895, is not certain; but probably 

 such was the case, for, during the early part of the day set apart 

 for the annual fungus foray, only !Mr. Hopkinson and Mr. Massee, 

 with one of the Earl of Clarendon's keepers, rambled through 

 Grove Park and "Woods in search of fungi. 



The almost entire absence of fungi during the first hour's search 

 seemed to suggest the condition of things already noted ; but on 

 entering Grove Park the first surprise of the day manifested 

 itself. Numerous objects scattered amongst the grass under an 

 oak-tree attracted attention, and very soon specimens of the rarest 

 and most interesting of British fungi — Strolilomyces strobilaceus, 

 Berk. — Were being carefully packed for future study. This species 

 was established by Berkeley on a specimen found near Ludlow 

 many years ago ; afterwards a second specimen was collected in 

 AVyre Forest, near Worcester; and the present discovery is of 

 much interest as indicating the tenacity of a fungus belonging 

 to an antiquated and primitive type having its headquarters in 

 Western Australia. 



A second rare species — CoUyhia longipes, Bull. — was also found 

 in the same park in considerable abundance. 



The real importance attaching to the discoveries indicated above 

 can only be appreciated to its full extent by those interested 

 in the sequence and evolution of life on the globe ; and to gain an 

 insight into this most fascinating subject the study of fungi may 

 be strongly recommended. 



But although in the morning the search for fungi was carried 

 on by only two members of the Society, in the afternoon they 

 were joined by several others, but not by all who came, for the 

 St. Albans contingent, owing to their train being late, never 

 found the Watford members, who duly met the Director and 

 Pteferee at the appointed hour and place. 



The Editor has to thank Mr. Massee for the foregoing remarks 

 on the collection of fungi, aud on the rare species found, and also 

 for the following list which embodies the results of the day's 

 collecting, all but two or three of the species having been found 

 in the morning. Those now first recorded for Hertfordshire are 

 indicated by an asterisk. 



