110 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



forms more of a trap with a movable valve ; the Drosera has 

 hair-like glands, with distinct active movements. 



Too wide a field for the consideration of this subject would be 

 open were we to attempt to describe the plants of prey found in 

 other countries. Kerner says that at least 600 different species 

 of plants are now known that obtain a great deal of their nourish- 

 ment by capturing animals either by pitfalls, traps, or the active 

 movement of glands; the quick closing of leaves, as in the well- 

 known Venus's Flytrap, Dlonoia micscipula ; and, commonest of 

 all, by sticky mucilaginous glands. 



Before concluding this paper the writer would wish to acknow- 

 ledge with gratitude the courtesy and help received by him from 

 both Mr. W. R. Guilfoyle, Director of the Botanic Gardens, and 

 Mr. J. G. Luehmann, Director of the National Herbarium, more 

 particularly in placing at his disposal specimens of the plants 

 herein described. 



A NEW PARASITIC AGARIC. 



By D. M'Alpine. 



{Eead he/ore the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, llth September, 1899.) 



A NEW species of Hebeloma was discovered by Mr. C. French, jun., 

 while conducting an excursion of the Field Naturalists' Club 

 around Cheltenham on 19th August last. It occurred on the 

 stem of an orchid, Pteroatt/lis peduncidata, R. Br., just at the collar 

 and beneath the basal leaves, where it formed a dense felt of 

 mycelium, without apparently interfering with the proper flowering 

 of the plant. I have much pleasure in naming this interesting 

 species after the discoverer, who not only follows that branch of 

 natural history with which his father, the Government Entomol- 

 ogist, is identified, but who has made a specialty of our Victorian 

 Orchidese. This is only one of several fungi which he has already 

 sent me from the Mallee and elsewhere, descriptions of which I 

 hope soon to publish. 



Hebeloma frenchii, n. sp. 



Pileus }( in. across, fleshy, deep reddish-brown, smooth, 

 slightly viscid when moist, convex to somewhat conical, slightly 

 incurved at margin, sometimes bent back on stem, with silky 

 fibres passing from margin to stem ; fiesh yellowish. Gills 

 reddish-yellow, not crowded, ventricose, adnexed. Stem ^ in. 

 long, y8 in. thick, central, creamy-yellow, hollow, equal, cylin- 

 drical, slightly curved, apex mealy, passing at base into dense 

 woolly felt and attached to collar of plant. Spores yellow, 

 elliptical, slightly apiculate, 10-12 x 5^-6^ /.i. Strong mush- 

 room odour. Attached to orchid, Pterosiylis peditnculata, R. Br., 

 just beneath basal leaves. August, 1899. Near Cheltenham, 

 Victoria 3 C. French, jun. 



