254 
The Irish Naturalist. 
November, 
Numbers for Names of Counties — Supplementary Note. 
I wish to be allowed to modify a statement in my article {supra, p. 223) 
on the vise of numbers for the names of counties in recording localities 
of plants. I find that three years previous to the publication of his Cybele 
Bj'itannica, Mr. H. C. Watson had introduced the method of double re- 
cording by a number and a name, in what he called the third edition of 
his Geography of Plants, the first part of which, down to Papaveracese, 
was issued in 1843. In this he divided Great Britain into his 18 districts, 
and the description of each plant was accompanied by a map, measuring 
2 in. by ij in. of the districts, and an enumeration of them thus : — 
" Districts— Peninsular, i ; Channel, 2 ; Thames, 3 ; Ouse, 4,'' and so on. 
But the project was abandoned, it evidently fell flat, and no other part 
was issued. The existence of this attempt of Watson's seems to be almost 
unknown, and it was too late to add it to my paper when I first heard of it. 
It is interesting, as it is much the same idea that Mr. Praeger so recently 
worked out on Watson's 112 " vice-counties" and his own 40 " divisions." 
H. W. IvETT. 
Ivoughbrickland, Co. Down. 
A Fungus which grows at 57 5^ C. 
While it is known that certain Algae grow in hot springs in Iceland 
and other countries at a temperature of 50^-60° C, it is rather startling 
to find that Fungi can thrive at the same temperature, and in Ireland 
too. During last August at Antrim I noticed that several ricks of hay were 
" heating." This is a phenomenon well known to farmers as the result 
of the hay being somewhat damp when ricked. On inserting my hand 
into the rick I was surprised to find that the heat was too great for the 
fingers to bear. The temperature of the air outside the rick was 13^° C. 
at the time, while inside the rick the first reading was 50^ C, and the 
second reading in another part was 57!*^ C. (equal to 135I" on the Fahren- 
heit scale). The hottest parts were completely infested with a Fungus 
bearing sporangia in all stages of development, and consequently the 
high temperature must have been admirably suited to its growth. It was 
a species of Mucor, and in compau}' with it there was another brown 
septate fungus which, however, did not exhibit any reproductive organs. 
It is a matter of common observation that, when forking the hay of a 
heated rick on to the cart, clouds of white dust arise from it. These are 
doubtless the spores of the Mucor which caused the heating. 
As hay when put up damp will invariably heat, the spores of the fungus 
must be present on the leaves and stalks before they are cut, or in the 
decaying vegetation of the soil. As these, on the most liberal estimate, 
are not likely ever to exceed a temperature of 27^^ C, it thus appears 
that the fungus can endure a range t>f temperature of at least 30*^ C. — a 
very remarkable ciise of adaptation to environment. 
J. Adams. 
Royal College of Science, Dublin. 
