490 



Art. CXX. — Varieties. 



249. Note on Agaricus aimatochelis and A. deliciosus. I Lave found in a wood near 

 here a considerable quantity of Agaricus aimatochelis, which, when Berkeley's book 

 was published, was not known as a native of England. My specimens had the red 

 ring complete. Notwithstanding M. Roque's caution both I and my friends have eat- 

 en Agaricus deliciosus, and with impunity. It was broiled with pepper, salt and but- 

 ter, and really was delicious. T have taken a moderate-sized one at a meal. — George 

 Sparkes; Bromlei/, Kent, November, 1842. 



250. Note on Alaria esculenta. In 1837 Mrs. Griffiths called my attention to the 

 Alaria esculenta, and wished me to observe whether a new " frond was pushed out be- 

 tween the stem and the old one, as in Laminaria digitata and L saccharina." In con- 

 sequence I attentively watched the plant during the three succeeding autumns, and as 

 the result of my observations is interesting, and will serve to correct an eiTor in Mr, 

 Harvey's ' Manual of British Algae,' v/here the Alaria is said to be annual, the follow- 

 ing remarks may not be unacceptable to the readers of ' The Phytologist.' In spring 

 the rocks in many parts of Mount's Bay are covered with the young fronds of the Ala- 

 ria : the greater number of these are destroyed in the course of the summer ; those 

 more favourably situated remain, and throw out, near the top of the stipes, a few hori- 

 zontal leaflets. In the autumn, between these and the base of the frond, the stipes 

 becomes elongated, bearing a new frond, which, as in Laminaria, at first has the old 

 one attached to its summit. Numerous leaflets are thrown out from a line on each 

 side of the new portion of the stem, and the old leaflets fall off". There is a small in- 

 terval between the insertions of the old and new leaflets ; and although the marks of 

 the former become nearly obliterated, yet by a careful examination they may still be 

 detected, and the age of the plant ascertained. The stipes is therefore elongated when- 

 ever a new frond is formed, and this is more than once repeated, as I have frequently 

 observed specimens which have had three sets of the horizontal leaflets. — John Rolfs ; 

 Penzance, December 14, 1842. 



251. New locality for Grateloupia filicina. I avail myself of this opportunity to 

 notice a Welch habitat for the rare Grateloupia filicina, which Mr. Harvey, in his 

 ' Manual of British Algae,' mentions as having been found (in this country) only on 

 the shores of Devonshire and Cornwall. In September last I had the pleasure of find- 

 ing it, rather plentifully, in shallow pools on the rocks in front of the Castle Hill at 

 Abery stwith . — Id . 



252. Note on the poisonous effects of Conia. Your correspondent Mr. Sparkes, from 

 his remarks on the poisonous effects of the seeds (or rather fruit) of hemlock (Phytol. 

 459) does not appear to be acquainted with Dr. Christison's experiments on the sub- 

 ject. There can be no doubt of the poisonous nature of the fruit; Dr. C. found that 

 it yielded a much larger quantity of the poisonous alkaloid — conia — than the leaves of 

 the plant did. Conia, you are aware, is one of the most deadly poisons ; a single drop 

 put into the eye of a rabbit, killed it in nine minutes ; three drops used in the same 

 way, killed a strong cat in a minute and a half; five drops poured into the throat of a 

 small dog, began to act in thirty seconds, and in as many more, motion and respiration 

 had entirely ceased. Conia, when injected into a vein, killed a dog instantaiieously . 

 Tlic poison has a local irritant clfect, and destroys life by causing palsy of the muscles 



