THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST, 107 



flowers, and sprays of Eugenia smithii, in fruit. By Mr. G. 

 French. — About 30 species of Orchids, &c., from Brighton and 

 Cheltenham, inchiding fine specimens of Lyperanthus nigricans. 

 By Mr. C. Frost. — About 100 species, chiefly from Kew, Ringwood, 

 and Cheltenham. By Mrs. W. Martin. — A striking decorative ar- 

 arrangement of native flowers, mosses, &c. By Miss Roberts. — 

 About 20 species of Orchids, &c., from Frankston. By Mr. H. T. 

 Tisdall, F.L.S. — About 40 species, from Eltham, among which 

 fine specimens of Grevillia lavandulacea, and Viola betonicifolia 

 were much admired. By Mr. C. A. Topp, M.A. — About 50 species, 

 from Kew, Cheltenham, &c., among them being a double 

 flowering specimen of Epacris inipressa, found by Rev. A. 

 Cresswell, M.A., near Dandenong. By Messrs. A. and C. 

 Yelland. — About 80 species, from Studley Park, Avoca, and 

 Diamond Creek, &c., including Eriosiemon obovalis, grevillias, 

 orchids, &c. 



FUNGI OF THE SEASON. 



By Henry Thos. Tisdall, F.L.S. 



{Read before the Field Naturalists^ Club of Victoria, 

 loth/ujie, i88g.) 



The heading of my paper is likely to be misleading unless it be 

 understood that I am speaking to a Melbourne audience, and 

 would, therefore, only mean those fungi to be found in or near 

 Melbourne. The season commenced very badly. I remark that 

 the date of my first specimen is towards the end of April ; whereas, 

 in other years, fungi appear in very fair quantities in March, 

 and a few may even be found in February. On the slopes of the 

 Yarra, adjoining the old Survey Paddock I obtained several kinds 

 of Agarics, some Polyporei, and a Peziza. The first I got was 

 rather a surprise to me. Strolling along the Yarra, feehng rather 

 disgusted with things in general and fungi in particular, I suddenly 

 saw something white in some long grass. I expected to be dis- 

 appointed for the fortieth time by seeing a piece of paper or a 

 white pebble ; but, to my surprise and pleasure, there stood a 

 veritable fungus. It was a species of Agaricus. The lower 

 portion of the stem was still enveloped in the volva or bag-like 

 covering from which the whole plant had escaped ; for some 

 fungi, like chickens, are first confined in a kind of eggshell — or, 

 rather, eggskin — from which they burst after a certain time. The 

 whole plant was as white as snow ; the stem, about two inches 

 high, was surrounded by a cap or pileus, the under portion of 

 which was covered by the gills, which are the closed fan-like 

 structures peculiar to the Agaricini. These gills were membrana- 

 ceous, firm, and acute, covered with white spores or seed-vessels. 



