351 
‘THE STUDY OF FUNGI BY LOCAL NATURAL HISTORY 
va SOCIETIES.* 
By HAROLD WAGER, F.R.S., 
Formerly President of the British Mycological Society. 
THE following notes refer to the methods and _ possibilities 
-of the study of Fungi by local Natural History Societies, and 
indicate some of the more promising lines of investigation which 
can be profitably taken up. It is quite true, in this as in other 
studies, that the path is beset with difficulties, both from the 
strictly utilitarian point of view and the more purely scientific 
one, but a more carefully organised study of this very large 
and important group, merits far more attention on the part 
of students of natural history than has yet been accorded to it. 
There can be no doubt that very valuable assistance can 
be given by Natural History Societies all over the country in 
the elucidation of some of the more important problems which 
arise. I need only refer to the strikingly successful work of 
the Mycological Committee of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ 
Union in the study of Yorkshire Fungi as an example of the 
kind of work which can be carried on by local societies. This 
Committee has been at work for more than twenty years, and 
during that time a number of the more important districts in 
Yorkshire have been systematically investigated, and in 1905 a 
list of some 2626 species had been compiled, based upon no 
fewer than 16,700 records. Since then the list has been consider- 
ably increased ; new records are continually being added both 
by individual observers and at the Annual Fungus Forays, and 
many new county and a few new British species are added each 
year. All groups of the Fungi are included in this list, but 
more attention has been given to the larger Fungi than to the 
microscopic forms in the study of which much remains to be 
done. 
The total number of.species known to occur in the British 
Fungus Flora is more than 5000, and this is doubtless far from 
being a complete list. Careful and systematic investigation 
would unquestionably result in many more. species being 
discovered. That of these considerably more than half have 
been found in Yorkshire alone, is a tribute to the earnestness and 
zeal of this Committee. 
I mention the work of this Yorkshire Committee because 
it seems to me that it is the most definite and systematic attempt 
which has been made to place the study of the British Fungus 
Flora on a systematic basis, and because it indicates so clearly 
enn 
* A paper read before the Conference of Delegates at the meeting of 
the British Association in Portsmouth, tort. Z 
Igit Oct, I. 
