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Saturday, Oct. 9th. — Visit to Coed Coch, Denbighshire, for a Foray, on 

 October Uth and 12th, under the general direction of Mrs. Lloyd Wynne and 

 Rev. M. J. Berkeley. 



Mons. Maxime Comu, from Paris, again attended the Porays this year. 



THE FUNGUS FORAY. 



The fungus-hunters and fungus-eaters have for many years past held high 

 festival in the old city of Hereford, during the first week of October. 



It has become at length an established custom for aU who are specially 

 interested in mushrooms and toadstools, to gather together in the west and com- 

 pare notes, as well as, in combination, to scour the woods and fields within the 

 domain of the Woolhope Club. 



The deeds of this Club in fungus-hunting are celebrated throughout Europe, 

 and wherever a few enthusiasts are gathered together with such intent, the Wool- 

 hope foray is recognized as an institution. This is due mainly to the earnest and 

 hearty manner in which the work is accomplished. It is undertaken eis a work 

 and a duty as well as a pleasure, and there can be no doubt of the fact that the 

 Hereford mycologists enter thoroughly into the spirit of their fungus-hunting 

 during the short period that it lasts. As a consequence, every year some new 

 facts are determined, some new species discovered, and the fungus flora extended. 

 The only serious drawback is the unsettled weather which often prevails at this 

 period of the year. And this season the traditions of the Club have been realized 

 as fuUy as ever, in daily drizzles, sometimes merging into a regular downpour. 

 Monday, October 4th, was signalized by the arrival, one after another, of the 

 Hereford visitors, until, as the appointed time for the evening meeting drew near, 

 many had settled down in their quarters, and the rain commenced that steady 

 precipitation which by daybreak the next morning had been registered as nearly 

 two inches of rainfall. Some of the expected did not reach their destination until 

 the following day, the muster including Messrs. Acton, Broome, Bucknall, 

 Carrington, Cooke, Cornu, Howse, Perceval, Phillips, Plowright, and Vize. The 

 opening prospect was by no means cheering, although the barometer was much 

 more depressed than the spirits of the fungus-eaters, who gazed at the dull 

 starless sky, and revived each other's reminiscences of past forays, when a dull 

 beginning had a bright ending ; and hopes for the morrow, which were never 

 realized, accompanied the wearied travellers to their rest. The morning of Tues- 

 day, October 5th, had been set apart for an excursion to Downton, but the rain 

 had not ceased when the time for the departure of the train for Ludlow drew near, 

 aud the telegraph was put in requisition to signify to the Ludlow friends that the 

 excursionists had resolved to postpone their visit until the morrow, in the hope 

 that the elements would prove more favourable to the enterprise after another 

 twenty-four hours. By this time it was evident that some of the most constant 

 and persistent of the regular visitors would not be able to attend. Personal sick- 



