Lett — The Fungi of the North of Ireland. 267 



It may here be inquired, what has become of Templeton's drawings and 

 specimens, and would it be possible to have them placed in the Herbarium of 

 the Museum of Belfast, near the scenes of his varied and many labours for 

 science, and the town close to which he had his home, and" with which his 

 name will be always associated ? The Belfast Museum already possesses, 

 through the generosity of Mr. Robert M. Young, a small collection of crypto- 

 gamic plants made by Templeton between the years 1801-1809, which con- 

 tains a few specimens of Fungi, but, as they are not marked with any locali- 

 ties, I regret my inability to recognise them as Irish. 



However, a more interesting and important discovery has been lately made 

 by Mr. S. A. Stewart, F.B.S.E., who has found amongst Mr. W. Thompson's 

 papers on the Museum shelves, a number of Fungi collected by that genius of 

 varied talents, some of which I was glad to find were natives of the North, 

 and will be found duly recorded in my list. 



It would seem that nothing has been done since Mr. Templeton's time to 

 study the Fungi of our district, except the few species brought together by 

 the author of the Natural History of Ireland. But recently attention has 

 been given to the subject by several students of nature, whose specimens 1 have 

 had the pleasure of inspecting, and a certain public interest has been excited 

 about "Toad stools," as was evidenced by the attendances at the Fungus Forays 

 of 1883, to Shane's Castle, County Antrim; of 1884, to Killymoon, near 

 Cookstown, County Tyrone ; and of 1885, to Rademon, near Crossgar, County 

 Down. The work effected by the B.N.F.C. on those occasions can be esti- 

 mated from the frequent mention of those localities in the accompanying 



The present list contains 582 species, and is intended as the beginning of 

 a Catalogue which, it is expected, will bo continued from time to time. It 

 embraces only a small portion of the Fungi of the North of Ireland, and these 

 from merely a few localities, a large number of the most common species not 

 being recorded in it, a deficiency which time and patience can, and doubtless 

 will, supply. There remain in my possession many specimens and drawings 

 of undecided forms, which I have not been able to clear off in time for this 

 report. 



In the identification of species, much assistance has been afforded me by W. 

 B. Grove, Esq., B.A., of Manchester, and Greenwood Pirn, Esq., M.A., F.L.S., 

 of Monkstown, County Dublin, who have taken a great deal of trouble with 

 many difficulties that I submitted to their judgment. Mr. Pirn, who has been 

 working for some years on the Fungi of Leinster and Munster, added to his 

 favours by spending two pleasant days with me in September, 1885, when we 

 had the satisfaction of verifying more than 80 species among the woods of 

 Donard Demesne, and Tollymore Park. I hope that the other kind friends 

 who have contributed specimens will continue and extend their observations 

 till the records are completed for all the counties in Ulster. 



