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the botanical world, and I can only regret that more of our 

 younger members did not avail themselves of the opportunity 

 of gaining some valuable and useful information. 



October 13th. — Fungus Outing. This was the First Annual 

 Fungus Gathering of the Society, and was accordingly looked 

 forward to with especial interest. Mr. Step with his usual 

 kindness consented to conduct, and chose as his hunting 

 ground the wooded portion of Esher Common, to the south 

 of Claremont. It is somewhat unfortunate that the after- 

 noons are so short during the period of year most suitable for 

 such a gathering ; but a considerable amount of work was 

 accomplished by the party in the brief time at their disposal. 

 It would be out of place here to give a list of the species 

 obtained, though a few names may be mentioned. Perhaps 

 the most noteworthy were the fine specimens of Polyporus 

 schweinitzii, Fries, which attracted so much attention at our 

 Annual Exhibition, several tufts of Sparassis crispa, Fr., were 

 obtained, and a considerable quantity of the equally edible 

 Hydnum repandum, L., and CantJiarellus cibarms, Fr. Among 

 other species collected were Pleurotus salignus, Abb. de 

 Sch}N3L.ram,Lactarius torminosus, Fr., L.subdulcis, Fr., L. quietus, 

 Fr. Russula ochroleuca, Fr., R. einetica, Fr., R. heterophylla, 

 Vx., R. drwtem, Clk., R. nigricans, Fr., TricJwloma personatus, 

 Fr., Clitocybe laccatus, Scop., Boletus subtomentosus, L., Amanita 

 rubescens, Pers., etc., etc. There was a fair attendance of 

 members ; but I think it highly probable (from the great 

 amount of interest displayed in the Fungus Trophy at the 

 Annual Exhibition) that a much larger number will take part 

 in our second Fungus Gathering. 



These field meetings will, I trust, in the future attract 

 a very much larger number of those who rejoice in the 

 leisure of a Saturday half-holiday, and who would take 

 advantage of the immense field afforded by them for obser- 

 vation and research in the spacious world of Natural History. 



The lines laid down for carrying out successfully your 

 Annual Exhibition were on a much more extended scale 

 than hitherto attempted, and it had probably never been 

 excelled, even by the celebrated great National Entomo- 

 logical Exhibition of ten years since — Council and members 

 working with a will and unanimity quite unprecedented. 



