as 
CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES, AD 
of investigation of the Fungi before some of the principal local Natural 
History Societies in the country. 
Mr. Carleton Rea, in reply, said that photographs per se were not 
good enough to identify the larger Fungi. The excellent coloured photo- 
graphs exhibited by Mr. Wallis were much better, but their value from 
a scientific standpoint would be much enhanced by having a section cut 
longitudinally represented with each specimen, and the colour of the 
spores and their shape should also be set out, magnified to a constant 
increment of, say, 1000. He admitted that there were some persons 
who were unable to digest even the common mushroom, as was the case 
with certain people who were unable to assimilate pork or fish. But if 
people became mycophagists before they were competent mycologists, then 
they must be very careful to gather their specimens with the base of the 
stem intact, because, if they observed any trace of a universal wrapper, 
known as a volva, at the base of the stem they should reject it, as it 
was the dangerous Amanite and Volvarie that possess this poison 
cup. 
Professor Carr had said that it involved great research and high micro- 
scopic investigation to determine the species, but he reminded him that 
Parliament had just passed an Act which empowered the police to deal with 
plant diseases in the same way as they did with anthrax and swine fever, 
and therefore the police would have to determine whether the goose- 
berries were attacked by Spherotheca Mors-uve. The continuous ex- 
hibition which he had advocated for popularising the knowledge of our 
Fungi could be carried on in conjunction with the exhibition of their wild 
flowers. At the present time at Worcester he had out on exhibition a 
far more virulent disease of the gooseberry than that caused by Sphero- 
theca Mors-uve, namely, Leptosphwria vagabwnda (Sacc.), the conidial con- 
dition being a Coniothyriwm. In conclusion he urged that it was the 
duty of all Local Societies to determine the Fungi of their own districts, 
and only when their mycologists were puzzled should they submit the 
specimens to a referee. 
Reports from the Sections. 
The Chairman then invited any Delegates from the Sections to explain 
how the Corresponding Societies could assist in aiding the work of the 
Committees of the several Sections. 
Dr. W. N. Shaw, representing Section A (Mathematics and Physics), 
explained that he had only recently been informed of his appointment as 
the representative of that Section. There are many ways in which the 
Corresponding Societies could be helpful in the meteorological work in 
which he was specially interested. 
Mr. C. O. Bartrum (Hampstead Scientitic Society) reported that, as a 
result of Dr. Mill’s suggestion at the last year’s Conference, his Society had 
asked the London County Council for a site on the summit of Hampstead 
Hill for the establishment of a Meteorological Station ; that the Council 
had granted the use of a site, and that by next year it was likely that 
the station would be in working order. 
Dr. Theodore Groom (Section C, Geology) wrote that the Committee 
of the Section had decided to recommend to the Corresponding Societies 
