20 Crossland: Fungus Foray at Sandsend. 
Abstract and Practical Mycology. 
(ABSTRACT). 
G; MASSEE, F-L:S., Vi.M.H., ere: 
THE primary object the members of the Mycological Section: 
of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union had in view, when the: 
annual fungus forays were established, was to compile as com-- 
plete a fungus-flora of the county as possible, under the cir-- 
cumstances. Such a flora can, perhaps, never be all embracing,. 
but the results embodied in the ‘ Fungus Flora of Yorkshire,’ 
represent practically as much work as would be justified on 
the part of the members, in considering it as the primary 
object of the forays. Additions will still continue to be made 
as opportunity offers, but other branches of mycology also. 
claim attention. Several members who have now attended the 
forays for many years, and have also worked at the subject 
more or less throughout the year, possess a good general 
knowledge of the fungi as a group. But the time has gone by 
when a person can know all that 7s known respecting any one 
group of organisms. Therefore, backed up by a broad general 
knowledge, a point that is absolutely essential, it becomes 
desirable to specialise, and my advice is, confine yourself 
to one special group of the fungi, nay, confine yourself to one 
genus, and by degrees you will not only learn all that is known,. 
but will learn many,things that were previously unknown. From 
such a method of procedure you would certainly derive a 
greater amount of pleasure and interest than by simply 
expending energy on solely endeavouring, often in vain, to. 
interpret other people’s ideas respecting species promiscuously 
culled from any of the many families included in the fungi. 
The first-hand knowledge gained by the specialisation method. 
will likewise be of the greatest value to every other mycologist. 
In addition to the systematic side of the subject, the dis- 
tribution of fungi, or what should perhaps be styled the eco- 
logical study, is practically unbroken ground. Why have we 
during a certain season, such a wave of certain genera or 
species, and an almost entire absence of others, usually equally 
common ? or why are certain species or genera absent from 
one part of the country, and present in other parts? Neither 
climatic differences nor absence of the host-plant can account 
for such conditions, yet they exist ; and we are very desirous. 
of knowing exactly why. 
Economic mycology also claims our attention. The 
hundreds of millions of pounds sterling that are annually lost 
owing to the injury caused to cultivated plants throughout the 
world, could, to a great extent, be prevented, if we knew more 
about the life histories of parasitic fungi. 
Naturalist, . 
