46 



" Break-Spectacles " in France, said M. Cornu. The find of the day, and new 

 to this country, was undoubtedly Agaricus Russula, a crimson-topped Agaric, 

 looking exactly like a Russula, till the gills were examined, and then it proved 

 to be an Agaricus "mimicing" the colour and habit of a Russula. Agaricus 

 Russula was so named by Schteffer, but there is another (book) plant named by 

 the illustrious Fries Hygrophorus erubescens ; the description of both tally as 

 well as natural objects (especially fungi) will tally with descriptions, and the two 

 plants are undoubtedly the same. According to book descriptions the two things 

 cannot be "co-generic," but those who know the Agaricus have never seen the 

 Hygrophorus, and those who find the Hygrophorus (says M. Cornu) never meet 

 with the Agaricus. 



There are at least twice as many described species of fungi as there ought 

 to be, especially amongst the small species ; a fungus in a dry place is another 

 species in a moist one, on a sunny day it is one thing, on a rainy day another ; 

 it may be one thing over night and (luite a different species in the morning ! A 

 slight alteration in shape, size, colour, odour, or habit of a fungus is quite enough 

 with many fungologists to constitute a nevy species, and if the species go on in- 

 creasing in numbers at the present ratia for. a few years longer, no one will at 

 length be able to master the plants,' or even the, literature of a single genus. To 

 merely look over the figures and description of one section of one genus of Peziza 

 in No. 1 of Dr. Cooke's Monorjri-iphia is enough W send an ordinary mortal into a 

 cold sweat. -No doubt there are differences, -permanent or otherwise, in some of 

 these little red Pezizas, with their little spores and little basses, but we hope the 

 day is not far distant when at least one-half the species will be knocked on the 

 head, to the despair of their founders. 



TRUFFLES. 

 In some parts of the Downton Woods, especially in the open places, there 

 is a luxuriant growth of a common moss. Minium hornum (= Bryum hornum). 

 Whilst walking over this dense and tall growing moss the quick eye of M. Cornu 

 detected a yellow mycelium known to belong to the singular black, club-shaped 

 fungus termed Torrubia ophioglossoides. This Torrubia is a parasite upon a 

 spurious sort of underground Truille named Elaphomyces muricatus, and the 

 yellow mycelium (explained M. Cornu) was running over and amongst the moss 

 in search of its underground victim, the Truffle. A careful search just under the 

 surface of the ground in the neighbourhood of the mycelium infested moss, soon 

 brought the " Truffle " to light, and in one instance the perfect parasitic Torrubia 

 itself was found by Mrs. Chapman. In the search for the Elaphomyces, another 

 curious underground fungus came to light, viz., Cenococcum geophilum, and the 

 fact was also observed that mice were searching for, and eating the same Elapho- 

 myces, so that there was a race between the mycelium of a fungus and mice, in 

 search of the same object to prey upon. It is well-known that squirrels and mice 

 are in the habit of searching for, and devouring when found, the Truffles of our 

 markets (Tuber sestivum). Truffle dogs will also eat the Truffles if not carefully 

 watched, as will the trained Truffle-hogs of France. 



