I04 Petty : Crayfish in Nottinghamshire. 



plants were quite nine inches across. I must not forg-et to 

 record a very pretty violet-shaded Polyporus [Poly stictus abiet inns) 

 which was growing- on Fir wood. 



The light was now waning-, and we left the wood to make for 

 home, but a large old stick-heap attracted attention. It seemed 

 to be the accumulation of years of the dead and dying trees of 

 the wood, for the use of the neighbouring- farmstead, and here, 

 in about twenty square yards, we found the greater part of the 

 species which had been already observed during the afternoon's 

 ramble, also another of the central-stemmed Polyporei [P. varius) 

 growing in profusion on Birch. One, which was perhaps to me 

 the most interesting find of the day, was Lenzites hetulina. This 

 is one of the gilled fungi (Agaricacese), but of a hard, woody 

 texture, and very similar in appearance to some of the 

 woody Polyporei ; it is, in fact, a sort of connecting link 

 between these two great families. The specific name of this 

 plant indicates that it gives a preference to the Birch for its 

 habitat, but in this case it was growing on the Alder (Alnus 

 gluti)iosa), which is in the same natural order as the Birch, viz., 

 Cupuliferaj. 



The only gilled fungi seen during the afternoon were 

 Crepidotus mollis, Marasmins peronatus, Coprimis comaties, and 

 C. niveus. The two latter being too frail to travel, were eaten 

 on the spot and found pleasant in taste, having a nutty flavour. 



As we walked home in the gloaming, I thought (between my 

 boy's anxious questions about fungi) it was a pity that so many 

 botanists should hybernate for several months every year when 

 there was so much new and interesting work to be done in 

 cryptogamic botany. My Christmas holiday was charmingly 

 employed with many microscopic treasures, such as Nectria 

 cinnabarina, Peniophora quercina, Tremella mesenterica , Trichia 

 varia, etc. ; and, what is particularly interesting, nearly all 

 those mentioned have dried without change in form or colour, 

 and I am now arranging them in a case for our local museum. 



CRUSTACEANS. 

 Crayfish in Nottinghamshire (ante p. 29).— Many years 

 ago I and others caught Crayfish in the stream from the tarn or 

 lake at Shireoaks — in the ' Park,' as I think it was called. If 

 this should meet the eye of any old Pestalozzians no doubt 

 they can confirm what I say. — S. L. Petty, Ulverston, 7th 

 January 1903. 



Naturalist, 



