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AUGUST. 



and leaving one of bare rich mould between 

 them. The origin of these circles too, which 

 hitherto has escaped the eyes of the naturalist, 

 but which is nothing more than a small mush- 

 room-bed, made by the dung of cattle lying 

 undisturbed in the grass where first deposited, 

 till it becomes completely incorporated with the 

 soil beneath, favours, more than all, the theory 

 of the fungi. Every one knows that where 

 this occurs, a tuft of rank grass springs up, in 

 the centre of which a crop of fungi sometimes 

 appears, and again perishes. There then is the 

 nucleus of a fairy-ring. The next year the 

 tuft is found to have left a green spot, of per- 

 haps a foot and half diameter, which has al- 

 ready parted in the centre. This expansion 

 goes on from year to year ; the area of the 

 circle is occupied by common grass, and suc- 

 cessive crops of fungi give a vivid greenness to 

 the ring which bounds it. That only a few 

 tufts are converted into fairy-rings may be 

 owing to their not being sufficiently enriched 

 to become mushroom-beds; but that all fairy- 

 rings which exist have this origin, will be 

 found to admit of little doubt. This, though 



