486 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION D. 
Polyporus (94), Polystictus (93), and Fomes (57), but it must be 
borne in mind that the sub-genera of Agaricus, for instance, are 
raised to the rank of genera. 
The edible fungi, especially our native species, have still to be 
tested in most cases. Mr. Maiden, in his presidential address 
before the chemistry section of this association, at Brisbane (1895), 
on ‘“‘The Chemistry of the Australian Indigenous Vegetation,” 
showed that our knowledge of the chemical composition of these 
plants is almost nil. I have mainly selected those which have 
been found wholesome in Britain or America, and which may be 
eaten with impunity, not necessarily with relish. The number at 
present is 84—73 belonging to the hymenomycetes, 4 to the gas- 
tromycetes, and 7 to the discomycetes. <A list of Australian edible 
fungi is given as an appendix to my systematic arrangement. 
If we compare the number of known Australian species with 
the British, as well as the total known number of fungi, an 
interesting result is obtained, as in the following table :— 
Table V.—Number of Australian Species compared with British 
and Total known Species. 
No. of No. of 
Groups. Australian Species British Species 
(1897). (1892). 
Ie Hivanenomiycetesmesmerecuneneseeere tee 1,303 1,902 
Det GASLLOMYCELES areas vende cestaees ee 198 78 
Sa Uice GINES ar, cata beee cgi sa clsjosteyes ait 2 53 
Ay PPV TENOMY COLES Pcs. cesccresmaeseeecevoee 285 
Dr elisecomy coves: tete-marercucanscerencoce 140 1,275 
Gertuberdidest ji icteseseansoset-essmotsavocs 7 
Hmelyphomycetes: wetieccesiscaeonie 2 580 
SO PHaAerOpsides)..< Mec. yen. eeheemeceet 152 685 
O Saccharomycetes! setnccsssutenscenece: 10 8 
NOS WWstilagimes) = .ons.utn.tee. eames 48 177 
Tie Phy.comy cetes: <2. /ssoncmyasnwerecesreer 2) 145 
12.2 Miyxomiy Cotes)... s1sosenedsietaenscees 52 137 
Other groups ........... Adina obs Seieisa oll Ole Eee eS | eee 
2,480 5,040 
The number of British species are taken chiefly from Massee’s 
“ British Fungus Flora,” the most recent work on the subject and 
still in course of publication, but this only gives the approximate 
numbers up to 1892. 
The total known species are given by Saccardo up to the end of 
1896 as 44,963 or roughly 45,000 ; and the number of Australian 
Species are given to the end of 1897, so that the comparison is 
not equal, but it is the best available. 
