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to carry a stone. This was of course done for something under a mile, but — oh, 

 cruel fate ! — only to find, after the portage had been made, that a rustic bridge 

 spanned the stream a few hundred yards above the weir. Lamentations over 

 wasted labour were, however, soon dispelled when the rare Agaricus Badhami, was 

 found in fine condition under some Fir trees. The walk through the Dingle — the 

 length of which was variously estimated from a half to four miles — was productive 

 of many interesting fungi, and in due course Hampton Oourt came into view, with 

 its Gipsy Oak, ancient Cedars, and spacious lawn. Mr. Arkwright regaled as 

 many as were disposed with refreshment, while the others hunted over the 

 lawn. Under one of the Cedars Mr. W. B. Grove, of Birmingham, soon dis- 

 covered a Geaster, probably O. Bryaniii. 



As the time was passing 'away, the order " Forward " was given, and 

 Dinmote Hill was ascended. The general who led his 10,000 men up a hill and 

 down again has long been held up to ridicule in rhyme, but to lead an army of 

 mycologists, not only up a hill, but through a wood, is by no means so easy a feat. 

 Somebody blundered ; the wrong turn was taken ; and, instead of coming out at 

 the station, we came out somewhere— on the wrong side of the hill. Train time 

 was drawing near, rain began to fall, legs began to ache, baskets to feel heavy ; 

 nobody seemed to know exactly where we were, nor which way we should go 

 till the order "Forward" was again given. Now, in point of fact, this was 

 really " backward," but Woolhopeans, unlike ropemakers, do not as a rule 

 progress backwards ; so on we went, not without trepidation, however, lest we 

 should find ourselves the next time we emerged from the wood worse off than 

 before; The rumble of a railway train at the junction sounded ominously in our 

 ears. Under such circumstances how eagerly every one is on the look out for a 

 landmark, a sign-post, a windmill, or well-known church steeple, for instance, but 

 no such landmark cheered our gaze. At last one of the party sighted a particular 

 clump of trees. All right now : here is where A. atro-punctatus grows. Take the 

 path to the left, and we shall be all right. Still some were a little dubious about 

 plunging once more into brushwood in which you could not see ten yards in front 

 of you, but soon other landmarks presented themselves — first the places where 

 Boletus piirpurascens was found, then ths habitat of Cortinarius dihaphua, which, 

 of course, settled the whole aflfair ; and within ten minutes we were safely landed 

 at the station, and in due course arrived at Hereford. 



There is a great similarity amongst all dinners, even if they be the Woolhope 

 dinners, but they are for all that necessary, and by no means unpleasant, events. 

 After dinner Dr. Cooke read a humorous poem, entitled " Flamen Pomonalis," in 

 which the Editor of the Pomona figured largely. This was followed by a very 

 interesting paper on " The Origin of Domestic Poultry," by Mr. E. 0. Phillips. 



In the evening the company assembled in the Woolhope Club-room. The 

 writer gave an account of Brefeld's researches on the Ustilaginei, in which he 

 pointed out Brefeld's method of cultivating these spores in " Kammern," so that 

 they are exposed to the air, and yet the culture is not spoiled by Bacteria, although 

 the nourishing fluid employed is a highly putrescible one, namely a decoction of 

 the excreta of herbivorous animals. He also pointed out the absurdity of the 



