56 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



" Hirneola polytricha was first made known to science by Mon- 

 tagne as belonging to this genus, and as being an inhabitant of the 

 East Indies and J ava, though, like our two other species, it was first 

 published as belonging to the closely allied genus Exidia, there being 

 but a very small natural difference between these two genera. This 

 species is thus briefly described by Berkeley (translated and abridged 

 from iMontagne) : 'sub-hemispherical, cup-shaped, expanded, lobed, 

 densely villous externally with grey hairs, disk purplish-brown.' 



" It is of various sizes and, I might also add, of shapes ; some 

 measuring a few inches, and when wet filling a large teacup or small 

 basin ; a large dry specimen weighing only 1\ drams. It is found 

 growing on the trunks of many trees, both on living and on rotten 

 ones (especially on the latter while standing), particularly on 

 Corynocarpuss Icevigata and on Melicytus rami/iorus, both of these 

 trees being endemic as to genus as well as to species. The former 

 tree is mostly confined to the sea-shore, where it often forms dense 

 and continuous thickets. In such situations it is generally of small 

 size, but when standing apart it is of much larger dimensions, and 

 not unfrequently in suitable spots it wears an imposing appearance 

 from its large, green, and glossy persistent laurel-like leaves. The 

 latter tree is scattered plentifully throughout the country, and the 

 fohage of both being evergreen, they are eagerly browsed on by 

 cattle. 



"The only market for this fungus is China. From official 

 information obtained from Hongkong, we find that it is largely used 

 by the Chinese in soups with farinaceous seeds, and also as a 

 medicine, being highly esteemed. The Chinese have long been in 

 the habit of using another species of this same genus that is 

 indigenous in North China, and also of importing another species 

 from other isles in the Pacific ; so that the use of this kind of fungus 

 as an article of food is not new with them. Who can say in this 

 article of food, that Western pride may not again have to learn 

 something more from this ancient, highly-civilised, and much-injured 

 people ? 



"At first, and for some time, our New Zealand fungus was only 

 exported in small quantities. The demand, however, rapidly in- 

 creasing, and the article being plentiful and obtained at little cost, 

 save the easy and untaught labour of gathering and drying it, its 

 export rapidly increased. The drying of it, if collected damp, was an 

 easy matter — merely spreading it in the air and sun till dry, which 

 soon takes place, when it is roughly packed in sacks, and if kept dry 

 keeps good and sound for a very long time. The price paid to the 

 collectors for it was originally small, only Id. a pound; at this figure 

 it remained for some time. It is now nominally 2Jd. in some places, 

 which sum, however, is often paid in barter*, it is said to be sold in 

 the China shops at about lOd. or more retail. I am not aware of the 

 actual price obtained by the exporter, but we find that its declared 

 value at the Customs has ranged from £33 to nearly £53 per ton, 

 which no doubt is much under the real value. 



* I should, however, mention that in the spring of 1883, a large paity of Maoris 

 residing on the West Coast, near Mount Egmont, who had foi some years been 

 collecting and storing fungus there, sold the lot to an Auckland agent and dealer, but 

 took the total sum, upwards of £425, in hard cash. 



