Mr Le Goc, Observations on Hirneola auricula-judae, etc. 225 
Observations on Hirneola auricula-judae, Berk. (“ Jew’s ear”). 
(Preliminary communication.) By M. J. LE Goo, B.A., Fitzwilliam 
Hall (University Frank Smart Prizeman, 1912). (Communicated 
by Mr F. T. Brooks.) 
[Read 28 April 1913.] 
FRIES refers to the Jew’s ear fungus as “antiquitus celebrata.” 
This celebrity of the fungus was due to its supposed medicinal 
properties ; for, on account of its fanciful resemblance to the fauces, 
it was frequently used as a cure for sore-throats in the days when 
the external form of a plant was thought to be a sufficient guarantee 
for its therapeutic quality. According to Berkeley, it was occa- 
sionally sold at Covent Garden for such a purpose as late as 
LSby Ga 
The Jew’s ear fungus received several different names: 7’remella 
auricula-judae*, Haidia auricula-judae}, Eaidia auriformis, Auri- 
cularia sambucinat, etc., until Fries and Berkeley fixed the name 
Hirneola auricula-judae§. Hirneola is derived from “hirnula,” 
a small jug; “judae” refers to the host, the Elder tree, on which 
the legend represents Judas as having hanged himself; while the 
name “auris,” ear, has been attached to it throughout its history 
on account of the ear-like form it often assumes. The popular 
name of “Jew’s ear” is a corruption of Judas’ ear. 
The only person who has hitherto investigated the biology of 
this fungus is Brefeld, whose work was confined to a study of the 
germination of the spores and the structure of the fructifications||. 
Mr F. T. Brooks suggested that I should attempt to establish pure 
cultures of this fungus and investigate some points of its biology 
which have hitherto been obscure. 
As is well known, the Jew’s ear fungus belongs to the 
Auriculariaceae, a group of the Basidiomycetes characterised by 
transversely-septate basidia arranged in a definite hymenium which 
becomes freely exposed during spore formation. 
This fungus is of world-wide distribution and is of frequent 
occurrence in the neighbourhood of Cambridge. Most of the 
* Lin. spec. (1625). 
+ Fr. Syst. II. p. 221; Berk. Cryptogamic Botany (1857), p. 355. 
+ Mart. Hrl. p. 459. 
§ Fr. Fung. Nat. p. 24; Hym. europaei, p. 695 (1874); Berk. Outl. of Brit. 
Fung. p. 289 (1860). 
|| Brefeld, Untersuchungen aus dem Gesammtgebiete der Mykologie, vu. Heft, 
pp. 70-76. 
| {| Fuckel, Symbolae, p. 29; Winter, Pilze, p. 283. 
