ON THE rOEilATTON OF FAIKY RINGS AND THE 

 FUNGI THAT INHABIT THEM. 



Bt EDWIN T.TCyiRj Eea., F.L.S., F.G.S., tc, Vioe-PreBideiit of the Malrern and 

 WorcesterBhire NaturalistB'' Clubs. 



Particular attention hw been lately called by Dr. Bull, in the TmxBactionB 

 tlOke Woolhope KaturaliBtB' Club, to the specieB of edible Fungi inhabiting 

 Heref ordshiw, aad the learned doctor has also kindly given redpee for cooking 

 them, irith UtB teiiy seal of an AjaciuB. I shall not emulate my recondite friend 

 in the ga«tron«nical department, though collaterally the subject I hare taken 

 in hand bears upon it; but, leaving him to his ste-w^ broils, and omelettes, 

 take a philosophical and contemplative -liew of those Agarics that (arranged in 

 remarkable curved lines) adorn the verdant fields, and, finding Oit ring readf 

 tanD&i, I shall invite you to conclusions trithia it, sho-wing Ei>ort in aa muy 

 txnimdt a« you please. 



My object then, in the present paper, trill be to describe those appear- 

 anoes in pastures that commonly bear the name of Faikt Kisgb, and to notice 

 the various Fungi that occasionally dot their circumference. The inquiry will 

 thus dovetail into the subject of edible Fungi, for nearly, if not quite all, the 

 Agarics that grow in or aiwut Fairy Bingi, may be regarded as innocuous or 

 edible. 



I K>>«n divide the subject into four parts, for the sake of persjdcuity, and 

 mention — 



1st. The Binge themtelvet, and their varied appearance, 



2nd. T}ie MyOwlogy and FUk Lore of the eulject. 



3rd. Tii/C Theorieg thai have hecn enUrtmntd with regard to ihevu 

 And 4th. Give the correct explanali'On 0/ t}>£ir formation. 



The fa«t of rings existing in pastures and occupied at times by various 

 kinds of Agarics, will be admitted by every inhabitant or even wanderer in the 

 country. But ideas on the subject are not very exact, and it is geneol^ 

 stated that the riiLgs are green. But in fact these rings exhibit different aspeete 

 at different times, though the fungologist is only interested in them when Aga- 

 rics or other Fungi appear round the border of the rings, which is by no meaas 

 always the CMW. 



