IX. 

 CLYDESDALE FUNGI. 



By R. B. Johnstone. 



The Council of the Society, when drawing up the list of excursions 

 for 1899, decided to make "fungi forays" a distinctive feature in 

 the year's programme, and arranged to have four excursions in 

 the autumn for the special purpose of searching for fungi and 

 compiling complete lists of all the species identified. Judging 

 from the numbers that attended these excursions, there is no 

 doubt but that this new feature was appreciated by the members, 

 and it is hoped that after such encouragement the work will be 

 prosecuted with even greater zeal in the future. 



Unfortunately, the fungus period is very limited, generally 

 lasting from the middle of September till the frost appears ; and, 

 as the growth is greatly dependent on certain climatic conditions, 

 the number of species in a district vary greatly each year, according 

 as the conditions are favourable or otherwise. This year (1899) 

 has not been a favourable one, owing to the weather being too dry 

 at the commencement of the season, and wet and cold at the 

 close, and the result is that several species have not appeared. 



The first excursion was to Craigton Wood, Milngavie, on 30th 

 September. This wood is generally prolific of fungi, but, on this 

 visit, owing to adverse weather circumstances, it had a barren 

 appearance. The result of the afternoon's search was that thirty- 

 six species were identified, the best being Ag. (Flammula) 

 alnicola, Lactariics mitissimus, Cortinarius sanguineus, and Nyctalis 

 parasitica. 



The scene of the second excursion was Cadzow Forest, on 7 th 

 ^October. Whilst other objects of interest in these woods received 

 their fair share of attention, special search was made for fungi, 

 which were remarkably scarce. Terrestrial species were almost 

 entirely absent, most of those collected being obtained from trees 



