4i6 Crossland : Fungus Foray at Castle Howard. 



immediate vicinity of the station (Ox Carr Wood and Ben 

 Wood), prior to going up to the work-room. It was near an 

 old stump in a field corner at the end of Ben Wood that Pluteus 

 cervimis var. rigens, a new British record, was found. 



It is our usual custom, as soon as we get settled at head- 

 quarters, to look through the garden, if there is one. Here 

 was one which appeared to have been neglected very much 

 by previous tenants. The present holder is a new-comer, 

 and seems anxious, if possible, to straighten things up a little. 

 Several parasitic fungi were at work. Uromyces fabce was on 

 most of the bean leaves ; Peronosopra parasitica on shepherd's 

 purse ; Phytophthova infestans on the potato plants and in ihe 

 tubers ; Fusicladium dendriticum, the cause of the ' apple 

 scab.' v^as abundant on the apples ; this is one of the most 

 injurious of fungus parasites which attack the apple. It is 

 dealt with in No. 131 of the valuable ' Leaflets ' issued by the 

 Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, which may be had for the 

 asking, and in Massee's l^ook on ' Plant Diseases.' Monilia 

 fructigena, another parasitic fungus pest, was not seen on the 

 apples, but it was picked up on a half-mummified fallen plum. 

 Of course, these and other fungus pests find their way to the 

 best regulated gardens and orchards, but if the}- are attended 

 to in time, their spreading propensity is curtailed. 



Guides to the woods were kindly provided by the agent 

 on Monday and Tuesday. Day after day interesting species 

 were brought in ; one especially so to the writer. This 

 was Mycena pelianthina ¥\'.-=Agaricus denticidatus Bolton, a 

 remarkably fine species for this genus. It belongs to the 

 Calodontes section, which have dark-edged denticulate gills. 

 The denticulations in peliantlii)ia consist of bunches of purple 

 cystidia, while similar structures spring singly, but plentifully, 

 from among the basidia on the gill sides, imparting a rather 

 remarkable appearance to these organs. This beautiful agaric 

 was first found at Halifax, in 1787, by J. Bolton, who described 

 and most appropriately named it A. denticidatus. Fries, later, 

 named the same thing A. pelianthinus. It has rarely been 

 found, but was met with at Castle Howard during the 1892 

 foray. 



The estate is heavily timbered, and portions of tlie woods 

 are said to be continuations of original forest ; there are many 

 fine old oaks, a few of which the suns of five hundred summers at 

 least, have shone upon. Other parts have been plentifully 



Naturalist, 



