50 On the Fungi Growing in Mines. 



length intended to remove it out of danger, but I had delayed 

 too long ; the ruthless foot of some passing miner must have 

 kicked it from its hiding place and I saw it no more. Since 

 then I have diligently explored, but was never successful in 

 finding another specimen. A miner brought me a species 

 of clavaria, which he said he had picked off a post in No. 3 

 level, but I have never been able to find one of that 

 particular kind myself 



Many kinds of club-shaped fungus have been found by 

 me in the mine, but I have not been fortunate enough to 

 get sufl&cient data in the shape of spores, fee, to determine 

 their proper classification. However, Baron von Miiller has 

 kindly promised to send the specimens to Europe, with my 

 notes thereon, and doubtless, in a short time I shall be 

 enabled to append a full and correct list of them, with 

 descriptions in the Transactions of the Society. 



I have questioned the miners concerning luminous fungi 

 in the mines, but they say they have never seen any ; this 

 is singular, for agaricus candicans is very plentiful in the 

 neighbourhood, and Humboldt is quite enthusiastic as to 

 the splendour of some luminous species in mines. In fact, 

 that is the only mention I have seen of fungi in connection 

 with mines. Another curious proof of nature's modifying her 

 apparently fixed rules, is exemplified in some of the agarics 

 and hydnei which I found. The rules amongst these orders 

 are, that the hymenium should turn from the light, and that 

 the stem, if any, should support the plant above it. Of course, 

 there is no light except the passing candle of the miner, but 

 the hymenium faces such as there is; again, the stems in these 

 plants are suppressed altogether, and fibres from the top of 

 the pileus support the weight which is placed below it. 



Turning from the plants themselves to their effect on 

 those who are brought in close and hourly contact with 

 them, I may premise, by stating the well-known fact, that 

 fungi are plants that imbibe oxygen and exhale carbonic 

 acid, this alone would have a prejudicial effect on those 

 working in their neighbourhood. 



Professor Berkeley, speaking on this subject, in his 

 " Outlines of British Fungiology," says, " Fungi were long 

 regarded as the mere creatures of putrescence, and therefore, 

 as the consequence, not the cause of disease, but almost 

 everyone is now ready to acknowledge what a weighty 

 influence they have in inducing diseased condition. Un- 



