44 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1744. 



best testimony. Among them, his history of funguses bear not the least cha- 

 racter ; he there enumerates a great variety, not only of the esculent, but noxious 

 kinds ; but, as the different appellations of every species was not, at that time, 

 much considered, he gives no other synonyms to either class, than that of, viz. 

 esculentoi-um primum genus, noxiorum decimum genus, and such like. But this 

 want of specific names has been sufficiently supplied by John and C. Bauhin, Ray, 

 Morison, Toumefort, Vaillant ; but, above all, by Dillenius, in his Catalogus Gissen- 

 sis, and by Micheli,in his Nova Plantarum Genera. In most of these authors we 

 find instances of mischievous effects from the pernicious kinds ; which property 

 some of them have equal to opium, aconite, or henbane ; but how far this pro- 

 perty proceeds from animalcules, the following instance will sufficiently demon- 

 strate. We have a sort growing in England, called, by Caspar Bauhin, fungus 

 albus acris ; which M. Toumefort has rightly observed stimulates the tongue, 

 and is almost as sharp as though it were steeped in spirit of nitre ; and, being 

 rubbed on paper dyed blue with turnsole, turns it as red as any violent acid spirit 

 will. This caustic quality remains even after the fungus is dry. We need make 

 no further inquiry for the cause of the poison in this plant ; the above-mentioned 

 is a sufficient criterion. John Bauhin likewise tells us, that after having handled 

 this fungus, he rubbed his eyes by accident, and brought on a violent irritation 

 on his eye-lids. Caspar Bauhin mentions a sort which kills the very flies. Mi- 

 cheli describes a species which, on eating them, almost killed the painter he 

 usually employed, and an old woman, the painter's mother. This man, being 

 sent by the author to delineate some of these funguses, and being taken with 

 their appearance, ordered some of them to be fried, and he and his mother ate 

 of them ; but were, in about 1 hours, seized with violent pains in their bowels, 

 from which they were with difficulty relieved. 



Concerning the Island of Zetland, or Shetland. By Mr. Thomas Preston. 



N°473, p. 57. 



This island has little communication with the rest of the world for the 6 winter 

 months ; or rather for 6 of the winter months ; for the year may be said to con- 

 tain 10 months of winter, and 2 of cold raw weather. The inhabitants com- 

 plained of heat at the same instant that Mr. P. complained of cold, and wished 

 for a great coat. They are so accustomed to stormy bad weather that they will 

 venture to sea in small boats, when one would not venture to cross the Thames. 



This island is the northernmost belonging to Scotland, situated between the 

 latitudes of 6o and 6l degrees: its length is, n. and s. 6o miles; its breadth 30 ; 

 and so divided into head-lands and smaller islands, creeks, bays, inlets, and 

 coves, &c. that you cannot place a compass on any the most inland parts of its 

 chart that shall be 1 miles from the sea. 



