XIX 



ready to give it. His name was as familiar as a household word, 

 within the walls of the Society's rooms, and they would long miss 

 him as an authority unquestioned and unquestionable, to whom any 

 botanical matter could be referred. How Baron von Mueller would be 

 replaced it was impossible to say. Good men generally appeared when 

 called for. There was no doubt — and probably through the Baron's 

 example — the science of botany throughout the colonies had taken great 

 strides of late years. The Baron was not only a scientific botanist, 

 but tie also brought his knowledge to bear on botany for economic 

 purposes, having introduced for these colonies a large number of plants 

 and fruits of economic value, and others that he had, at any rate proved, 

 were not of economic value. The Baron had now gone, and he (Sir 

 Lambert) was satisfied that throughout the colonies his loss would be 

 recognised and deeply regretted, and his many admirable qualities 

 would be often alluded to in future years. Now the silver cord was 

 broken and the Baron rested in peace. 



FUNGI. 



Mr. L. RoDWAY read a paper on fungi in [his usual interesting and 

 instructive style. He said that whilst all other branches of plant life 

 had ample attention paid to them the fungi were neglected because of 

 vast numbers and variety, evanescence, and obscurity, which necessi- 

 tated a painted copy and microscopical examination. As to the utility 

 of the study, the work done by fungi in breaking down dead tissue was 

 very interesting and instructive. He next dwelt on the destructiveness 

 of various forms of parasitic life on plants, such as rust on wheat and 

 black spot on apples. The study of fungi was, therefore, useful in 

 considering plant diseases and to learn how to cope with the same. 

 The estimated loss from rust in wheat alone in Australia was between 

 two and three millions sterling. In the United States it was 67 million 

 dollars. In India the loss from all fungoid diseases was 10 million 

 pounds per annum, as stated in the Agricultural Ledger, published in 

 Calcutta last year. In England alone, while there are about 1,760 

 flowering plants, there are 4,895 fungi. Tasmania had about 1,000 

 varieties of flowering plants, and there was little doubt that the fungi 

 in this colony exceeded 1,500. As neither of these countries can be 

 considered peculiarly rich in fungi, and as the number of flowering 

 plants of the world might be roughly estimated at 100,000, some idea 

 of the number and necessary variety of fungi might be conceived. 

 Fungi formed almost a kingdom of themselves. They fed like an 

 animal, but fruited like a plant. They had a very slight link of affinity 

 attaching them to the other plants, whilst through one section, namely, 

 the Mycetozoa, as the name implied, the approach to animals was very 

 marked. The edible qualities of many fungi were not of great im- 

 portance to the botanist, nor in Tasmania of much consequence to the 

 utilitarian ; but in many countries fungi constituted the luxury of the 

 rich, and a staple article of food for the poor. In Tasmania there were 

 many wholesome forms besides the common mushroom. At the same 

 time there were many fungi which were most violently poisonous. _He 

 concluded with a graphic description of the luminosity of fungi in 

 Tasmania, and the phenomena of their growth. 



Hearty applause greeted the reader of the paper upon resuming his 

 seat. 



Mr. T. Stephens, in the course of some comments on the paper, 

 said they oould not but regard Mr. Rodway as facile prineepa— the 



