144 
room; and that gentleman, in acknowledging the vote of thanks, 
spoke in very high terms of the lecture and lecturer.—Mr. Lees’ hav- 
ing briefly replied to the vote of thanks the company separated. 
GREENWICH NATURAL-HISTORY CLUB. 
Saturday, February 25, 1854.—George Busk, Esq., F.R.S., Presi- 
dent, in the chair. 
Fungi of the Neighbourhood of Greenwich. 
Mr. Currey made some observations on three new Fungi which he 
had found in the neighbourhood. 
“Since our last meeting, I have met with three Fungi which I had 
not previously found in this neighbourhood, and which are of an inte- 
resting nature. ‘Two belong to the genus Spheria, and the third is, I 
believe, a Coryneum. The first of the Spheriz to which I wish to 
call attention is a beautiful plant, the species of which is somewhat 
doubtful. It appeared to me to be the Spheria ochracea of Greville, 
which is one of the rarest of our English Fungi; but a friend, whose 
experience in these matters is much greater than my own, tells me that 
it is not the true Spheria ochracea, but comes nearer to 8. aquifolia or S. 
Sinopica. I have not been able to refer to any description of S. 
Sinopica ; but, with regard to S. aquifolia, my plant differs in having 
the perithecia covered with bright yellow scales, and, moreover, the 
depression of the apex of the perithecium, which in S. aquifolia is to 
be found only in old plants, exist, in my species, indifferently in - 
both young and old. I hope this Spheria may prove a new species: 
at present it is doubtful. With respect to the description, I would 
add that that the fungus is very minute. A yellow spot, about the size 
of a large pin’s head, contains an aggregation of several plants ; so 
that it requires the aid of the microscope to distinguish even the 
external characteristics. If you imagine a flattened Seville orange, 
with a crater-shaped depression at the top, and well powdered with 
sulphur (or rather with some powder of a brighter yellow than sul- 
phur), it will give a correct idea of an individual of the group. The 
other Spheria is S. inquinans. In this fungus the perithecia lie con- 
cealed beneath the bark of trees. The spores are discharged through 
an orifice at the apex of the perithecium, and are spread over the 
external surface of the bark, being enveloped in a sort of gelatinous 
