217 



form a circle by its sporules falling around it, every other offspring of the faniH-y 

 couLl do the same in its turn. But such an apiiearance is never presented to 

 view, and the supposition is therefore fallacious. This may be made clear to the 

 eye by reverting to a diagram. For thus numerous intersecting circles would 

 be of necessity formed, and the pasture, if the agarics were not too numerous 

 and close, might look like an orrery. 



Let me now, then, attempt the elucidation, as the last part of the subject 

 I have undertaken to discuss. Discarding then the mythological Fairies, as 

 well as the various hypotheses that have been eliminated to account for the 

 commonly-called " Fairy Rings," let us look at the matter in a common-sense 

 but botanical point of view, remembering that we have here to deal not with 

 flowering, but cnjptoriamous jylants. Yet the same law of Nature will apply. 

 Turn up a mass of soil in any place, make a bank of manvu-e, or leave the 

 cultivated soil of a garden to itself, and what are generally called weeds soon 

 congregate. So in a wood, if the wind upsets a tree, or scatters dead branches 

 about. Fungi quickly find them out, feed upon them, and flourish on a pabulum 

 congenial to their nature. 



All fungi, whether Agarics, Boleti, or Polypores flourish on decaying 

 substances, and rotting matter of some kind they require as a pabulum of 

 support. WTiatever, then causes the withdrawal and death of grasses in pasttires, 

 or displaces the soil, enables the sporules of fungi floating in the air to settle 

 down, and Agarics or " Toad-stools" to appear, and thus we notice them scat- 

 tered about, without much wonder at their appearance, in the autumnal season, 

 for, as Shelley says — 



" Agarics, fungi, mildew, and mould. 

 All start like mist from the wet ground cold." 



But they do not start without some predisposing cause, or without something 

 or other has caused decay where they arise. 



That circles or arcs, fonuing rings of Agarics or other fungi, should appear 

 in meadows must be admitted to be curious, and require explanation. For this 

 purpose two things are required — the forms which attract the eye, and incipient 

 decay. The marked green or brown rings in the grass was the ground of popular 

 appreciation, and gave rise to the supposed fairy dances — 



" The nimble-footed fairies dance their rounds 

 By the pale moonshine."— fictcher. 



and hence a cause must be shown for the sudden appearance of a round in the 



grass, and the decay that, allowing fresh grass to spring up in the track made, 



gives a new verdancy to it that keeps the circlet visible for a considerable time. 



Shakspeare says — 



" And nightly meadow fairies, look you, sing 

 Like to the garter's compass, in a ring ; 

 The expressure tliat it bears, green let it be. 

 More fertile fresh than all the field to see."* 



* Shakspeare— "Merry AVivcs of Windsor." 



