42 Notices of British Fungi. 





IV. — Notices of British Fungi. By Rev. M. J. Berkeley, M. A. 



No. I. 



Though the number of British Fungi described in the last vo- 

 lume of the English Flora amounts to nearly 1400, it is remarked 

 in that work, that this is by no means to be considered as more than 

 an approximation to a perfect list of the species indigenous to Great 

 Britain. Indeed many of considerable interest occurred while the 

 sheets were passing through the press, which were inserted in the 

 body of the work, with the exception of a few which are noticed in 

 the list of addenda, and several have lately fallen in my way, which 

 at present are unrecorded, as belonging to the British Flora. It is 

 proposed, therefore, from time to time, after the plan of the admir- 

 able communications of a similar description by M. Montagne, in 

 the Archives de Batanique, and the new series of the Annales des 

 Sciences Naturelles, to give detailed descriptions and figures of such 

 as are new or of any peculiar interest, but, as regards those which 

 are well known, mere references to some good authority, with occa- 

 sional remarks, and indication of the places where they occurred. 

 New localities of the rarer species will also be inserted, and any 

 additional information respecting such as are already recorded. These 

 by way of distinction will be marked with an asterisk. 



1. Agaricus mastoideus, Fr. Syst. Myc. vol. i. p. 20. Mastoce- 

 phalus, Batt. Fung. Hist. p. 30. tab. 10. fig. A. — This very interest- 

 ing and beautiful Agaric occurred sparingly amongst moss, under 

 blackthorn in a wood at King's ClifFe, Northamptonshire, towards 

 the end of October 1835. There can be little doubt that it is identic 

 cal with the species which Battarra had in view, and which Fries 

 has adopted from his figure and description. Like Ag. excoriatus it 

 is very nearly allied to Ag. procerus, but is distinct from both in its 

 slender habit and papillose scales. 



Pileus If inch across, f inch high, very strongly umbonate, with 

 a depression round the umbo, subcarnose ; epidermis breaking up 

 into small umber papillae, which are larger and more scattered to- 

 wards the margin. Gills remote, rather narrow, yellowish. Stem 3^ 

 inches high, slender, strongly attenuated upwards, incrassated at the 

 base, sunk into the substance of the pileus, minutely villoso-squa- 

 mose, filled within with cottony fibres. Ring deflexed, scarcely 

 moveable. My specimens were rather past maturity, I cannot, there- 

 fore, assert positively that the stem in the young plant is so tough as 

 described by Battarra. 



Tab. II. fig. 1. a. Agaricus mastoideus. nat. size ; b. vertical section. 



* 2. Ag.pclianthinus, Fr. Syst. Myc. vol. i. p. 112 — This species, 



