253 



gated with white flocci. He adds that he long considered these varieties as dis- 

 tinct species, relying on Fries, who thought their characters permanent ; but 

 afterwards on seeing S. Geaster in various localities and soils, he found that the 

 one form evidently passed over into the other, the flesh assuming every tint be- 

 tween black and blueish-purple. 



The species is distinguished from the rest of the genus by the singular 

 thickness of its peridium, and the smoothness of its bark, but especially by the 

 stellate mode of the dehiscence of the peridium. 



Fries gives Southern Europe and Carolina as its localities ; to these may be 

 added La Calle, in Algeria, as Montague informs us in the ' Flore d' Algeria,' and 

 Australia, Drummond, n. 168, A camparison of the spores of the British plant 

 with those of specimens from Carolina exhibits scarcely any difference, both being 

 rough and varying from 0"0003 to O'OOOS inch diameter. 



Explanation- of Plate.— Fig. 1, 2, 3. Scleroderma Geaster, Fr., from specimens 

 collected by Dr. Bull, at Hagley, near Hereford, in Oct. 1870. (Seepage 162.) 

 Fig. 4 Spores magnified 700 diameters. 



REPORT OF THE HEREFORD MAPPA MUNDI. 

 BY THE REV. F. T. HAVERGAL, M.A 



Since the last annual meeting of this Club the reproduction of this work 

 has been carried on with slow but steady efforts. One-third part of the fac 

 simile was completed in September last, and the whole would have been finished 

 before the present time had not the lamentable war broken out on the Continent. 

 Should peace be proclaimed in a short time, the remainder of the fac simile 

 could be completed within three or four months, as the whole of the lithographic 

 stones are in a forward state. The principal artist engaged in producing the 

 first section of our map was killed at Sedan, and the lithographer has suffered 

 terribly by the loss of his workmen at Bruges and the bombardment of his other 

 establishment in Paris. The editors of the volume of descriptive letter-press 

 have in the meantime been pursuing their difficult task, so that they will in 

 due time present a full and learned account of all the legends and places 

 mentioned in the map. The undertaking has not received a very liberal 

 support, only 50 or 60 copies having been secured by subscribers — those chiefly 

 connected with this county. There are doubtless many persons who prefer 

 seeing this work complete before making such an investment. Subscribers will 

 secure decided advantages, as, after publication, the price will be raised. It is 



