266 Lett — The Fungi of the North of Ireland. 



The Dr. Sherard whose name occurs twice in connection with these four 

 plants may be regarded as the first Ulster fungologist. Perhaps some more of 

 his observations may be unearthed by future researches. 



The next worker in this department of the Botany of the district was 

 Templeton, who carried on the collection and study of the Fungi found near 

 Belfast more than eighty years ago, with the result of whose efforts the 

 authors of the " B.N.F.C. Guide to Belfast, &c," were unacquainted. Those 

 efforts are embodied in a paper in the Annals of Natural History, Vol. V., 

 pp. 3-6, 1840, the title of which is—" Catalogue of the Species of Fungi 

 obtained in the North of Ireland by John Templeton, Esq., of Granmore, Belfast," 

 by " Thomas Taylor, M D., M.R.I.A., F.L.S." And to the list is the following 

 preface : — " Dunkerron, Kenmare, 12th March, 1839. — The following Cata- 

 logue of Fungi, collected by the late Mr. John Templeton in the vicinity of 

 Belfast, is drawn up from drawings and specimens left by him, and which 

 Mrs. Templeton placed in my hands, with a desire that I should carefully 

 ascertain the species and their modern names, with a view to publica- 

 tion. I have bestowed upon them my best attention, and yet the list is defi- 

 cient by a few of the drawings whose counterparts I have not yet met with in 

 nature, and by a very few of the specimens, from whose imperfect state no 

 satisfactory conclusions could be drawn. Still, I cannot but admire the in- 

 dustry and talents of one who, at least equally successful in all the other 

 departments of zoology and botany, displayed so intimate a knowledge of 

 plants difficult of investigation, at least before the termination of the last cen- 

 tury, when the greater part of this collection was already made. — Thomas 

 Taylor." 



The 226 Species collected by Templeton are inserted in the following Cata- 

 logue, which, for convenience of reference, is arranged according to M. C. 

 Cooke's, Handbook of British Fungi, pp. 901 (London, 1871), whose descrip- 

 tions are referred to, except where otherwise stated. As I have adopted the 

 classification used in that work, I have not thought it advisable to give the 

 titles of the Families and Orders as they occur. 



Two forms of Sclerotium (complanatum, Tode. and durum, Pera) collected by 

 Templeton have been omitted, as they are regarded by modern mycologists as 

 immature states. Wherever necessary the Synonyms employed by Taylor 

 have been added. 



There are six of Templeton's species which, owing to being unable to con- 

 sult any of the older writers on British Fungi, I cannot trace to their modern 

 Synonyms, and therefore, for the present, enumerate them here. These are : — 

 Thelephora aurantiaca, Sow. 



Peziza aquatica, De Cand. 



Peziza lycoperdioides, De Cand. 



Tremella difformis, With. 



Sphozria rimosa, Sow. 



J)emaftlium ciliare, Pers, 



°\ 



