201 



Many rings beyond question increase centrifugally, and the fungus is tha 

 cause of the increase. Such rings may be very old as they continue, but there 

 is reason to think that rings to which the fungi have not become attached, soon 

 break up and are lost sight of. In the cases above described the grasses are all 

 of the nutritious kinds, the prevailing one being the Lolium perenne, perennial 

 rye grass, and the consequence is that the vigour given to its growth causes a 

 curious appearance when our field is aimed up for hay, as the heavier crop of 

 greener grass makes a complete circle of prostrate herbage. When however 

 it is depastured, the sheep keep the circles so closely cropped that the rings 

 are marked by the fresh green of newly springing grass, and when these animals 

 are first put into a field they fly to the rings, which they eat off before any other 

 part of the field. This observation is so opposed to the idea expressed by 

 Shakespeare, in which he has been followed by our friend Mr. Lees, that we 

 cannot forbear quoting the passage, together with Mr. Lees notes thereupon, 

 in order the more fuily to explain this curious and interesting natural history 

 subject. Shakespeare says : — 



You demy-puppels 

 That do by moonshine green sour ringlets make 

 WTiertof tlie ewe bites not. 



" Here," says Mr. Lees, " our great bard alludes to the current belief of the 

 time in which he lived, and also mentions a rural fact that we may suppose 

 came under his particular observation. Ewes, he states, will not bite the grass 

 of a fairy ring. Now this is not true with regard to the area of the circle, but 

 it is correct when the expression is limited to its circumference, which is truly 

 the ring tliat the ewe will not bite. This I once satisfactorily proved, by 

 observation, in the vicinity of Stratford-on-Avon, and probably in a field that 

 Shakespeare had himself trod. In this pasture, through which was a footpath, 

 there was a flock of sheep grazing, and several rings of Agaricus gamuosus. 

 The exterior circle of each ring was occupied by a tall growth of the coarse grass 

 called Srachvpiidium primatum, among which lay nestled and concealed the 

 savoury agaric. The sheep had close-grazed most of the herbage of the field, 

 but the grass occupying the circumference of the rings was entirely untouched. 

 It was then, doubtless, the vernal fairy rings to which the immortal bard 

 alUded." (ELees, the Woolh«pc Club, 1868. ; 



Now it is quite clear that in this case the peculiarly innutiitious kind 

 of grass was the real reason of its being refused by the sheep, as observed by the 

 poet, and afterwards by the naturalist ; but when such favourite kinds as the 

 Lolium, in our home circles, and this and the Dactylis glomerata, as observed 

 at the Agricultural College meadow, is improved by phosphatic manure, whether 

 that be purposely employed or is derived from decaying fungi, these grasses 

 become more succulent, and are consequently relished by sheep. 



But we have stated that many of our rings are without fungi ; still, 

 whether with or without these, we look upon it as a fact that the initiative 



