T. Kire.—0n the Export of Fungus from New Zealand. 455 
animals and plants are constantly yielding additions to the catalogue of 
organic substances directly or indirectly utilized by man, Fungi and 
Insecta, notwithstanding their vast numbers, but rarely assist to swell the 
roll Any addition to the useful species of either is therefore of special 
interest, and on this, as well as other grounds, it is desirable to draw atten- 
tion to the export of Fungus from this colony. It is practically restricted 
to a single species—Hirneola polytricha, Mont.,—which is plentiful on 
decaying timber in all our forest districts. 
Prior to 1872, it was exported only in small quantities, but in that year 
the amount declared at the various ports in the colony was 57 tons 14 cwt., 
valued at £1,927 ; in 1877 it had increased to 220 tons 5 cwt., valued at 
£11,318; the total amount exported during the seven years ending 1878 
being 838 tons, valued at £37,812. Its gradual increase will be seen from 
the following return, for which I am indebted to the Collector of Customs. 
Fractions are omitted for convenience :— 
Year Tons. Value, 
1872 58 £1,927 
1873 95 1,195 
1874 : 118 6,226 
1875 112 : ia 5,744 
1876 iis ds 122 “4 " 6,224 
1877 yA ie 220 á nx ee 
1878 “a S 103 ER a 
From this it will be seen that the declared value is about £44 per ton, 
or more than four and a-half times the nominal price of one penny per 
pound paid by the merchant to the collector. As the fungus does not 
require to undergo any process to prepare it for market, the actual outlay 
connected with it is confined to the cost of collection and spreading in the 
open air or in sheds for a few days to get rid of moisture. This, however, 
is rarely necessary in the summer. At any rate, we have, in round num- 
bers, the sum of £8,000 to represent the actual remuneration of the 
collectors, while the merchants’ profit is represented by the disproportionate 
figure of £29,000. China is the sole market for our fungus. In 1878, at 
the suggestion of Mr. Seed, Commissioner of Customs, the Colonial Secre- 
tary made enquiry as to the purposes to which it was applied by the 
Chinese. The Colonial Secretary at Hong Kong stated in reply that it was 
“much prized by the Chinese community as a medicine, administered in 
the shape of a decoction to purify the blood, and ‘was also used on fast 
days, with a mixture of vermicelli and bean-curd, instead of animal food.” 
Later information shows that it is largely used in soups as ordinary food. 
It was farther stated that it was sold retail at about 10}d. per lb. As tho 
price paid to tho collector in New Zealand doos not exceed 1d, per Ib., it ia 
