1859.] DONCASTER FUNGUS, ETC. 199 



snow-white brightness, and has added more than a foot to its 

 byssoid margin. Now, in March, 1859, it looks exceedingly 

 healthful, and is freely covered from centre to circumference 

 with drops of water, bright as those seen on the leaf-points of 

 the Droseras, giving the plant a most interesting appearance, and 

 hence the appropriateness of its specific name, lachrymans. At 

 about a foot from the outer circumference, and in a circle paral- 

 lel with it, is growing on this large mycelium a quantity of what 

 probably is Agaricus jjarasiticus of BuUiard, according to the Rev. 

 M. J. Berkley's description of that plant, though twice as large; but 

 whether it be the above-named plant or Asterophora agaricoides 

 is not easy to determine, the proprietor not allowing any one to 

 touch his valuable stock-in-trade ; his care is not the form of the 

 jjileus, but the colour of the tip. 



The Merulius lachrymans, growdng in unventilated places, sel- 

 dom produces hymenium, sporting itself in mycelium to an 

 enormous size, spreading its thin film over such wood, brick, 

 stone, or rock as are convenient for it. There is a very profuse 

 growth of this mycelium in the Dewsnop pit, at Dukinfield, 

 near Manchester, which is more than two thousand feet deep. 

 In the Doncaster cavern there are other beams, on which the 

 same fungoid growth is freely spreading, sometimes in small 

 patches like a corium, at others growing in a more tufted form, 

 with pendent processes resembling stalactites, full of little pits, 

 containing pellucid drops of water of the most crystalline bright- 

 ness. In the same cavern grow very freely the Trichia chryso- 

 sperma, Agaricus rotula, Agaricus domesticus, Corticum gigan- 

 teum, and Thelophora hirsuta. 



For the encouragement of local botanists studying this in- 

 teresting but neglected family of plants, the following list of 

 Fungi, which I have found near Doncaster in several rambles for 

 that purpose, may be acceptable. Most of them may with care 

 be preserved, and would be interesting additions to the herbaria 

 of those who value them. 



The sight-seers who have gone to see the ' wonderful Fungus,' 

 might any autumn behold a more interesting spectacle in the 

 family of Funguses in front and right and left of the Grand 

 Stand, where the fine grass sward is so beautifully bespangled 

 with Agarics, Boletuses, Lycoperdons, and Clavarias, of the 

 varied colours of salmon, ochre, chocolate, white, brown, and 



