Bairy- 
Ring. side of it, but that whi 
pe Wolke. of dark 
ton’s ober ably dar 
vations. 
FAI 
paler than the soil on either 
is beneath the interior circle 
is found, on the contrary, to be consider- 
the general surrounding soil. But, in 
the course of a few weeks after the fungi have ceased 
to appear, the soil where they oot grows darker, and 
dy rehaapentign sacri pee wi iar vigour, so 
that I have ecen the surface covered with dark s, al- 
though the darkened soil has not exceeded an inch 
in thickness, while that beneath has continued white 
with spawn, for about two inches in — 
The section of the space occupied by the white spawn, 
has, in general, nearly the same form, and may be com- 
pared to that of a wave, proceeding from the centre out- 
wards, as its on the inner side ascends ob- 
liquely towards the surface, while its exterior termina- 
tion is nearly in a vertical position. The extent occu- 
pied by the spawn varies considerably, aceording to the 
season of the year, being greatest after the fungi have 
come to perfection, and is reduced to its smallest dimen- 
sions, and may, in some cases, not be discernible before 
the next year’s crop begins to make its appearance. 
For.the, purpose of ing the progress of various 
eircles, I marked them three or four years in succes- 
sion, by incisions of different forms, by which I could 
distinguish clearly the successive anmual increase, and 
I found it to vary in different circles, from eight inches 
to as much as two feet. The broadest rings that I have 
seen, were those of the common mushroom, (ag. cam- 
tris) ; the narrowest are the most frequent, are 
those of the champignon (ag. orcades of Dr Wither- 
ing). The mushroom acco ly makes circles of the 
largest diameter, but those of the champignon are most 
regular. There are, however, as many as three other 
fungi that exhibit the same mode of extension, and 
produce the same effect upon the herbage. These are 
the ag. terreus, ag. procerus, and the lycoperdon bovista, 
the last of which fs far more common than the two 
last-mentioned agarics. j 
There is one circumstance that may frequently be 
observed respecting these circles, which can -satisfac- 
torily be accounted for, according to the preced- 
ing hypothesis of the cause of their increase, and 
may be considered as a ion of its truth. 
Whenever two adjacent circles are found to interfere, 
they not only do not cross each other, but both circles 
beneath the fungi 
are invariably obliterated between the points of con-_ 
tact; at least, in more than twenty cases, I have seen 
no one instance to the contrary. The exhaustion occa- 
sioned by each, obstructs the progress of the other, and 
both are starved, 
I think it also not unworthy of observation, that 
different species of fungi appear to require the same 
nutriment; for in a case of interference between one 
circle of puff balls and another of mushrooms, oe 
not intersect; but I cannot say positively that I 
seen more than one instance. 
I once found that a tree had interrupted the regular 
progress of a circle ; but this appeared to be only a 
temporary learner, as_the extension had ga 
ed at the u rate; and by passing obliquely front 
each side into the soil beyond the tree, had given the 
ring the form of a kidney, so that another year or two 
would probably reunite the two extremities into one, 
curve surrounding-the tree. Being desirous of ascer- 
taining in what length of time a soil might again re- 
cover the power of produsing.a fresh crop of fungi, I 
cut a ve, in one or two instances, along the diame- 
ter of a mushroom ring, and inserted a quantity of 
266 
FAK 
but the experiment failed altogether, as [ shortly after 
try. ht wena 
to the action of grubs, 
the roots of the ; and he supposes, that th 
ive a preference to ‘rings, on account of the abi 
ce A dead - le matter — be found in — 
Mr Florian Jolly su iry rings, and 
fungi which they pbb 4 are ropa: Ane 
horses, diluted by the rains, and imbi 
Jessop, Phil. Trans. No. exvii. p. 391 ; 
burgh Transactions, vol. ii. p. 1—11 5 Wi 
rangement of British Plants, vol, iv. 
Gough, Nicholson’s Journal, vol. ix. 3; Wilson, Id. 
vol. xiii. p. 1; Florian Jolly, Id. xiii. p. 98, 415 ; 
Monthly Magazine, vol. xv. p. 219; Gilbert's Journal, 
vol. xvii. p. 351; and Wollaston, Phil. Trans. 180%, p. 
133, or Nicholson’s Journal, vol, xix. p. 367. (w) —  . 
FAITH. See Turoroey. : 
FAITH, Conresstons or. See Conrrssions. 
FAKIR, or Faguir, from the Arabie Fakar, signi 
fying a poor person, is a kind of dervise, or religions 
, Very common in countries, 
sometimes travel alone, or in of 200 or 800, 
having a superior , who is disti 
wound somne een fogs ee tee of all colours. 
strew their hair, which hangs half way down the 
with ashes, with which they sometimes besmear their 
whole bodies. They are not allowed to marry. “They 
gees take up their abode,” says Stavorinus, “ in 
2 Se ag? er in the open air, or in old and 
oh i 
vows that they will perform penance by remaining du- 
ring their rare tives in some unnatural NOR ig 
torturing their bodies by various m ; 
or 
and honour. I met. wi 
i others, were some who, by 
z 
if 
i 
