257 



in the programine exhibited such a dearth of fungi, all hope of providing extra 

 tables were abandoned in favour of a resolve to do all that could be done under 

 the circumstances, to maintain the reputation of the Club. 



The morning of the " foray " day was as gloomy as any of its predecessors, 

 and although Thursday was fixed for an excursion to Holme Lacy, only a very few 

 had the courage to brave the drizzling rain in search of some fungi to be cooked for 

 dinner. As fortune favours the brave, so on this occasion sufficient was collected 

 of that excellent, but generally despised. Toadstool, the Coprinus comatiis, and 

 another fungus allied to the mushroom, Agaricus hcemorrhoidalis, to supply the 

 tables at the "Green Dragon " in the afternoon. It is unnecessary to say that as 

 the trains ran up and down at intervals during the day, all the excursionists took 

 an early opportunity of returning as soon as they discovered the conditions under 

 which their explorations would have to be conducted, or had collected what was 

 requisite for the table. There really seemed to be some truth in the ditty which 

 one of the party was humming to himself : — 



'* Oh, ever thus from morning hour, 



When with the Woolhope Club I've strayed, 

 I've seen the rain a deluge pour, 



The fungi sodden and decayed. 

 I never knew a foray yet 



That did not all my hopes betray — 

 I always am so drenching wet 



Upon a Woolhope day." 



After a brief meeting for the despatch of business, the election of President 

 and the appointment of Thursday, October 6th, 1881, for the next foray, the Club 

 adjourned to the hotel for dinner. About sixty -five persons sat down, with the 

 President at the head of the table, supported on one side by the High Sheriff of 

 the County, and on the other by the Mayor of the City. The preliminaries of 

 eating and drinking being disposed of. Dr. BuU addressed the company in his 

 usual vivacious and happy manner. This was followed by a welcome for the 

 visitors, and replies thereto in acknowledgment, when two papers were read in 

 accordance vnth the programme, ^z. : — one by Dr. Cooke, entitled " Mushroom 

 Sauce," which dealt with many things in general, and nothing in particular; and 

 one by Dr. BuU, on the " Sclerotium Disease of Potatoes." The character of the 

 former may be guessed from the following paragraph: — "When sane men are 

 found scampering over miles of country, like escaped lunatics, for the avowed 

 purpose of collecting, smelling, and even tasting the filthiest and slimiest of toad- 

 stools that ever flourished on a dunghill ; bringing into this respectable city whole 

 basketfuls of the most disgusting stenches that ever assailed the nose of a sanitary 

 inspector, this monomania must be attributed to 'Mushroom Sauce.'" In the 

 latter paper Dr. Bull summarised the Potato diseases, vrith especial reference to 

 the new form of disease found in Ireland, and attributed it to a small Sclerotium 

 in the haulms (see Gardeners' Chronicle, p. 264). At eight o'clock in the evening 

 a soiree was held at the residence of Thomas Cam, Esq., when the following com- 

 munications were made— "On the Species of Hypomyces found in Britain," by 

 C. B. Plowright, followed by some supplementary observations by M. Cornu ; 

 and on "The Luminosity of Fungi," by Wm. Phillips, F.L.S., followed by a 



