200 THE FUNGI OF GUERNSEY. 



Besides these two there are nine species which have not 

 hitherto been detected in Britain proper, viz. : — 



Marasmius globularis. 

 Agaricus rubellus. 

 Polystictus tomentosus. 

 Lachnea pulcherrima. 

 Bertia collapsa. 

 Torula asperula. 

 Volutella vitis. 

 Fusarium argillaceum. 

 Phyllosticta hedericola. 



The following agarics deserve notice on account of their 

 extreme rarity as British species, only one or two specimens 

 having been recorded ; and most of them have not been seen 

 for a great many years : — 



Lepiota permixta, 

 Lep. promineus. 

 Pleurotus Ruthee. 

 Hygrophorus russo-coriaceus. 

 Hyg. ventricosus. 

 Pilosace algeriensis. 



Taking the Agaricinece as a whole the most interesting 

 genus locally is certainly Hygrophorus. On this point the 

 following suggestive remarks from the pen of Mr. Massee, 

 who has examined all the specimens received from Guernsey, 

 will be read with interest : — 



" The occurrence of so many species of Hygrophorus 

 within so limited an area is very remarkable, and careful study 

 woidd almost certainly add to the number already observed, 

 as several specimens received in a condition too imperfect for 

 certain identification did not appear to belong to recorded 

 species. Furthermore, the remarkable variation in form, 

 colour and size of such species as H. puniceus, H. coccineus, 

 and others, suggests a line of work which could not fail, if 

 thoroughly investigated, to aid to a very material extent in 

 solving the interesting problem bearing on the causes of varia- 

 tion in species. The examples from l'Ancresse Common 

 proved exceedingly interesting from this standpoint. Per- 

 fectly typical specimens occurred mixed with such varied 

 departures from the type that the extreme forms if collected 

 in localities apart from the typical form, and not connected by 

 intermediate links, might reasonably have been considered as 

 distinct species. Why is this ? The question can only be 

 answered by some person resident in the island ; and the 

 fascination certain to accrue from a study of this cause of 



