476 ProceecUnga of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Eighty-two species are recorded from Glengariff, -where the woods 

 and other most prolific localities for fungi are much less extensive and 

 varied than at Killarney, but unquestionably a very great many more 

 remain for future explorations. Killarney yielded in all one hundred 

 and fifty-six, of which about thirty -five are common to both districts, 

 thus making about two hundred species as the result of my visits. 

 The most noteworthy features are the extraordinary number and 

 variety of two allied genera of Agaricini — Lactarius at Killarney, 

 and Russula at GrlengarifE. They are very natural and well-marked 

 as genera, and as usually occurs when the large group is easily distin- 

 guished, the species are mostly difficult to determine accurately. A 

 Lactarius is immediately recognized by the copious exudation of more 

 or less milky or coloured juice on the slightest wound, but to proceed 

 further, and say what is the species in question, is quite another 

 matter. Russula is quite as easy to recognize, though the written 

 characters are not so explicit. At Glengariff I noticed eight forms of 

 each genus, and at Killarney eleven Lactarii, and three Russulas. 



The almost entire absence of Peziza and the Myxogastres in both 

 regions is also remarkable, although I kept a sharp look out for them, 

 especially as the damp and warm climate should be very favourable to 

 their development. The paucity of the various Hyphomycetes and 

 Pyrenomycetes is doubtless due to their being easily passed over in 

 searching for the larger forms, while it was far too late in the season 

 for ^cidia and most of the Puccinise. In 1883, at Killarney, I met 

 with some enormous specimens of the beautiful Fly Agaric (A. mus- 

 carius), one being SJin. in diameter, and its stem l^in. thick, while 

 last year every old stump about Muckross Abbey was a mass of A. 

 melleus, which might have been collected by the bushel. It is said to 

 be esculent, but unfortunately not commendable. It is also curious 

 that a careful search over the extensive pastui'e lands of Muckross 

 failed to elicit a single common mushroom, so abundant everywhere 

 last autunm and for long into the winter, the solitary specimen in 

 the list having been found on Mangerton, and was not the usual 

 field variety. I saw none at either Glengariff or Killarney in 

 1883. 



In 1843 the British Association held its annual meeting in Cork, 

 and in connexion therewith a list of the Fauna and Flora of the dis- 

 trict was compiled, the botanical portion by Dr. Power, assisted by 

 Mr. Denis Murray and others. In this list two hundred and seven- 

 teen species of fungi are recorded as occurring near Cork, some of 

 which, such as Sclerotium, Ehizomorpha, &c., are now admitted to be 

 only states of other forms. Of the good species about forty-two occur 

 in my list, so far as I can ascertain, but the nomenclature has so much 

 changed of latter years that it is not always easy to identify a species 

 under its old name. Further search would, no doubt, reveal a good 

 many more about Glengariff and Killarney. Combining the two lists 

 together, we have now about two hundred and sixty species recorded 

 from Munster, against five hundred and thirty in Leinster. Rev. 



