THE FAIRY RING 239 



ring of withered grass and the ring of fungi were 

 both explained in the most satisfactory way, and 

 nothing remained to account for but the verdure 

 of the grass enclosed in the space within. And 

 what more simple? All dumb animals have a 

 special knowledge of, and a deep respect for, the 

 denizens of the nether world ; and the sheep, recog- 

 nizing the ground which the fairies had traced out 

 as their own, took great care not to trespass upon 

 it. Thus everything was clear. 



The humdrum botanist, dissatisfied with these 

 explanations, has formulated certain others of his 

 own, and if you care to believe him the mystery 

 is accounted for in a way something like this : 

 The fairy ring mushroom, which he prefers to 

 know as Marasmius oreades, is, like all others 

 of its kind, parasitic in its nature. It cannot 

 extract from the soil or the air the material neces- 

 sary for its existence, so it gets what it requires 

 from the decaying substance of other forms of 

 vegetation. Also, like others of its kind, it shows 

 above ground only its spore -bearing parts, the 

 equally or more important part of its body, the 

 mycelium, remaining out of sight. Now, suppose 

 that a Marasmius has begun to grow from a 

 spore suitably placed in meadows or pasture soil. 

 Its first growth is a small circular patch of 

 mycelium, which closely invests the roots of the 

 grass, and these, as a consequence, either become 

 very unhealthy or die. In due time, what is 

 popularly known as a mushroom grows from the 

 mycelium and sheds its spores abroad. This is 

 the beginning of the fairy ring. Its subsequent 



