I 



PiM — On the Fungi of Ghngariff and Killarney. 475 



XXIII. — PEELnnn'AET Repoet oisr the Ftts-gi of Glen-gaeife axd 

 KiLLAENEY. By Gbeexwood Pii[, j^tl-A., F.L.S. 



[Eead, Febiiiary 23, 1885.] 



Eaext in 1883 the Academy were good enough to grant me a sum 

 in aid of the investigation of the Pimgi of Glengariii and Kil- 

 larney. In accordance therewith, I proceeded to the former towards 

 the end of September of that year, and after spending some days, 

 and collecting a considerable number of species, went on to Eallarney. 

 The summer had been rather a wet one and unfavourable to the de- 

 velopment of fungal mycelium, and whilst there the weather was so bad 

 as to render collecting very difficult. [Moreover, domestic trouble 

 necessitated my return long before I had explored the district as I 

 could wish.] A second visit to Killarney was made last autumn under 

 much more favoui'able circumstances. 



Investigating the mycology of any district differs essentially from 

 the stndy of almost every other branch of its flora, inasmuch as in 

 most instances the plants are extremely evanescent — appearing to-clay, 

 and within a day or two leaving no trace, save perhaps a little brown 

 or blackish slime. Hence it is evident that, unless the explorer is 

 present at the exact time a given species appears, he has no means, in 

 many instances, of even guessing at its existence. Again, especially 

 amongst the Agaricini, the species are so variable and so difficult to 

 identify with certainty, especially when one has no competent person 

 to consult with, that it is quite possible in some instances the same 

 species has been referred to different names, and, conversely, distiuct 

 species to one name. A third difficulty arises from their dilequescent 

 nature, which renders it practically quite impossible to preserve them 

 in such condition as to be available for reference and comparison ; and 

 it is equally unsatisfactory sending them through post to other botanists 

 for theii^ opinion. Hence there is in this department, perhaps, more 

 room for error and more difficulty in detecting it, than in any other ; 

 and long residence in a district, and not merely an occasional visit or 

 two, would be necessary before anything like an exhaustive list of its 

 species could possibly be arrived at. 



Other calls, though happily not of an unpleasant kiud, again in 

 1884 curtailed my visit, so that I would ask the Academy to be good 

 enongh to look on this only as a first instalment. 



I hope at an early date to make considerable additions to the cata- 

 logue presented herewith. I am painfully conscious of the extreme 

 imperfection of this report, and can only trust that the members, con- 

 sidering the exceptional difficulties of the task, will extend to me ex- 

 ceptional indulgence. 



R.I. A. PROC, SER. II., VOL R'. SCIENCE. 2 U 



