It is with much satisfaction that I have to congratulate the Club on the 

 prospect of the completion of the Flora of the County, by Mr. Purchas. This 

 talented botanist has now kindly consented to prepare for the Club the second 

 part of the Flora of Herefordshire, and the committee appointed for its publi- 

 cation at our last rheeting have made arrangements which, I trust, will enable 

 the Flora to apj)ear in the volume of 1870. 



With regard to Fungology we have once more to thank our indefatigable 

 Editor for his labours in this branch. Also many other gentlemen, among the 

 foremost of whom I would mention Edwin Lees, Esq., F. L.S., Vice-president of 

 the Worcester and Malvern Field Clubs, and Worthington G. Smith, Esq., 

 F.L.S., of London. Althoxigh the summer of 1869 was singularly unfavovirable 

 to the production of funguses, yet before our October foray came off plentiful 

 showers had brought an abundant harvest of them. At our meeting all who saw 

 it must have been gratified by the splendid exhibition of funguses which was 

 held in this room. The remarkable species found last year are so fiilly named 

 and described in our volume that it is needless for me to go over their names, 

 especially as those names are somewhat crack-jaw. 



The most important phase perhaps of these researches, at least to the maps 

 of mankind, is their economic value. If, as I think most probable, fungus- 

 eating becomes general, and this society leads the van in pointing out and 

 describing accurately the many good and nutritous kinds which grow about us 

 it will have done a great work. 



Edible Funguses, by their chemical constituents, ai-e known to be highly 

 nutritioiis, and in a great degree supply the elements of animal food ; but 

 hitherto the ignorance of those forms which were wholesome has deterred most 

 people from making any use of them beyond the common mushroom. Without 

 this practical knowledge it is undeniable that serious mistakes may be made, 

 and therefore the great aim for our Fungologists should be to lay down some 

 easily comprehended rules for the diagnosis of wholesome species. No better 

 method perhaps than carefully drawn and coloured jjlates, such as appear in 

 our Transactions can be devised for giving popular instruction on the subject. 

 Those in our present volume bear the inviting names of the Beef Steak, the 

 Sweetbread, and the Plum Mushroom. 



The most valuable addition to the resources of the student of Fungology, 

 however, is the new Key to the large class of British Agarics, Claris Ayari- 

 einorum, by Worthington Smith, Esq., F.L.S. This key divides this veiy 

 numerous tribe of Funguses into different sections according to the colour of the 

 spores, as they may be white, salmon-coloured, brown, puqjle, or black, and 

 by giving an illustrative page, to each colour, upon which the leading typical 

 form of Funguses are given, the student is guided in the most ready and satis- 

 factory manner to the discovery of the right genus of any particular fungus 

 he may have in hana!. Mr. Smith has done the Club very great honour, in 



