no little to its success. Reflecting, as I often have done, on the difficulty of 

 accomplishing much in the way of field work at one of our meetings, where we 

 sometimes perhaps try to do too many things, the amount of work done at 

 this meeting, when one object only was kept in view, impressed me very much ; 

 and it seems worth considering whether we might not occasionally follow the 

 same plan with advantage, and when favourable opportunities occur, limit our- 

 selves for the day to a single pursuit. Not only have we increased our own 

 knowledge of Funguses, but we have had the pleasure of adding two which are 

 new to Britain. I believe much remains to be done in this department, and 

 that many species, new not only to Britain but probaUy to science, remain to 

 be described. Mr. Lees' paper on Fairy Kings formed a fitting adjunct to our 

 meeting. However we may differ from him as to the sufficiency of his theory to 

 account for all the phenomena, we could not but admire the industry and ability 

 which he brought to bear on it. 



The great obstacle to Fungus eating is want of knowledge of the edible 

 species, and though our illustrations do much to supply that knowledge, our 

 meetings do more. The actual inspection of specimens, especiiUy if they are 

 afterwards cooked and eaten, gives a confidence not otherwise to be obtained. 

 It may be doubted whether many of the species will ever be common articles 

 of diet in this country, still it is desirable to keep attention directed to 

 what is not only good but highly nutritious. Liebig, in a recent paper, says : 

 "Fungi contain, wonderful to say, the same nutritive salts, and also in nearly 

 the same proportion as meat." This is perhaps not so strange, when we reflect 

 that Fungi grow in general on matter which has been previously organised, 

 that they are a step further, as it were, from the inanimate world. It is rea- 

 sonable to expect that the Fistulina Hepatica, which feeds on the oak, should 

 attain a more complex constitution than the oak itself, which has to elaborate 

 its juices from unorganised matter. In other respects, too, and probably as a 

 result of this organised food, they resemble animals rather than plants, that is, 

 absorbing oxygen and giving out carbonic acid under the influence of light. 



I cannot leave this subject without expressing our deep obligations to Mr. 

 Worthington G. Smith, both for his invaluable assistance at our Foray and the 

 beautiful illustrations you have seen to-day. 



With regard to the jerial portion of our domain we have again to thank 

 Mr. Isbell for his elaborate meteorological reports. Those who know with what 

 care his observations are made, will know how to value them as they deserve. 

 We are also indebted to him for the careful and interesting measurement 

 of heights by the barometer. 



Though Archaeology does not come strictly within our province, it is some- 

 times convenient to examine such objects as exist in the districts visited. In 

 this department Mi'. FlaveU Edmunds and Blr. James Davies gave us able papers 

 on Risbury Camp and on a supposed Roman road from Bravinium to Circutio. The 

 antiquities of the Clee hills were discussed by Mr. La Touche, and Mr. Havergal 



