GLASGOW SOCIETY OF FIELD NATUKALISTS. 153 



EXCURSION. 



Mr. Allan gave a short account of an excursion to Bowling, in 

 which all the mosses of the district were found. He mentioned 

 the occurrence of one of the Alpine mosses (Andrecea crassinerva) on 

 the hills there. This moss had never been found so low down 

 before. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



By Mr. R. H. Paterson. — Specimens of some of the underground 

 fungi : Octaviania Stephensii and Rhizopogon rubescens from Helens- 

 burgh, and Eydnangium carneum from the Botanic Gardens — the 

 last named being new to Britain. Also specimens of Clavaria 

 acuta from Helensburgh; Polyporus hrumalis, Tremella lutescens, 

 and T. froridosa from Cadder Wilderness, all rather rare fungi. 



By Mr. Allan. — A collection of uncommon mosses collected in 

 the neighbourhood of Glasgow, among which were Glyphomitrium 

 Daviesii, Andrecea Rothii, A. alpina, Grimmia unicolor, G. torta, 

 and Gampylopus torfaceus. 



PAPER READ. 



Mr. Alexander Macindoe read a paper on "Fungi." After a 

 short introduction, he mentioned some of the properties of fungi, 

 entering pretty fully into their useful and destructive characters. 

 Besides the great number of those used as food we have some used 

 for making ornaments — e.g., the Green Oak of commerce, used for 

 making Tunbridge ware. A species of Coprinus produces a good 

 ink. The Fly Agaric, which possesses narcotic properties, is used 

 in some countries for the purpose of intoxicating. Passing on to 

 the destructive properties, we have the dry rot produced by the 

 spawn of the fungus Merulius lacrymans. Next, we have the 

 moulds of our food and clothes — the fungi which are supposed to 

 be the cause of various infectious diseases, as cholera and thrush ; 

 the ergot of rye, caused by the fungus Claviceps purpurea, which 

 produces such distressing symptoms on the person who by chance 

 has taken it. And lastly, and perhaps most important of all, we 

 have the potato disease produced by the fungus Feronospora 

 in/estans. The spores of this fungus at a certain season pass into 

 the stomata of the leaves ; it then sends its spawn down the stem 

 into the tubers, producing that disease which has nearly ruined 



