Anniversary Address. 5 



is at a considerable disadvantage. Even in the best libraries 

 of Scotland, some of the books one would like to consult are 

 not to be bad. A large Club like this might do worse than 

 set up a small but choice reference library of its own. 



Admitting, however, that the difficulties of studying Fungi 

 are quite of an ordinary kind, it might be asked, A\ hat is the 

 «ood of studying them ? There is of course first of all, and 

 mainly, the scientific interest of the study, which is precisely 

 the same as attaches to any other branch of scientific study. 

 It is the study of nature ; it is the exploration of a corner of 

 the Creator's world. It possesses the same kind of interest 

 to a Club like ours, as the study of mosses or insects or birds. 

 Any one who has been touched with the fascination of 

 science in any of its departments, would not think of put- 

 ting such a question, and here, therefore, it is not necessary 

 to give an answer to it. 



If you depart from the scientific and descend to the 

 utilitarian interest of the study of Fungi, one can make out 

 a strong case. More than any other branch of cryptogam ic 

 botany, is the study of Fungi of interest to mankind. For 

 one thing there is a gastronomic interest attached to them. 

 They yield what ought to be regarded as a valuable supply 

 of food, though as a matter of fact it is almost neglected. 

 With the exception of the ordinary mushroom, and perhaps 

 the Horse mushroom, there is no Fungus generally gathered 

 and eaten in this country, though elsewhere all over Europe 

 many species are used for food. I have never been able to 

 ascertain how this comes to be, or why Agarious campestrls 

 should be set in such a place of honour, and all the rest be 

 nowhere. It is not because it is manifestly the best Fungus 

 for the table ; it may be as good as any, but it certainly is 

 not better than some. And yet it is the only one that is 

 lifted out of the despised ranks of the toadstools. It is the 

 only one that people recognise and are not suspicious of. 

 But it is irrational to carry favouritism so far. It is much 

 as if we were to confine our attention entirely to cabbages 

 and neglect cauliflowers. Of course the main reason is that 

 the one Fungus is known and the others are not. But the 



