340 



Crossland : Fiuigus Foray at Maltby. 



district generally is well wooded, and the trees comparatively 

 free from disease. Only one ash was seen to be affected with 

 Polyporus hispidus, and that in the garden corner of Maltby 

 Rectory ; we were allowed to take the specimen for an exhibit. 

 One yew in Roche Abbey Valley was attacked by Polyporus 

 siilphureus, and a couple of oaks near Firbeck with Fistulina 

 hepatica — the beef-steak fungus— from one of which a chunk 

 three or four pounds in weight was taken. Fomes annosus was 

 about among the firs, but sparingly. The birches in Maltby 

 and other woods, so far as we noticed, are free from the attack 

 of the deadly Polyporus behdinus. We had evidence, though, 

 that this disease is in the district. While walking along the 

 road we noticed a post-and-wire field fence in which two seg- 

 ments of a diseased birch trunk did duty as posts, with the 

 disease still upon them. We found the fungus still growing 

 and producing millions of spores capable of affecting healthy 

 trees if they found their way to a weak spot. Perhaps the farmer 

 thought the posts were ornamented with the fungus brackets, 

 and so they were, only, this is not the way to check disease but 

 to spread it. 



The potato disease — Phytophthora infestans — was prevalent 

 and causing much loss to the farmers. 



In perusing the foregoing portion of the report it will have 

 been observed that species of the genus Cortinarius were met 

 with at all the places visited ; they have been much more 

 abundant at this than at any previous Yorkshire Foray with the 

 exception of Helmsley. As a rule they are late comers in the 

 fungus world. Possibly the forward and favourable season has 

 coaxed them out two or three weeks earlier, and perhaps in 

 greater numbers than usual, the bulk generally appearing in 

 October. A similar phenomenon is reported from other parts 

 of England. The following were determined: — C. (Phleg.) 

 scauriis, C. {Phleg.) decoloratus, C. (Myx.) elatior, C. {Iiio.) 

 alboviolaceus, C. [Ino.) callisteus, C. (Ino.) arenatus, C. [Derin.) 

 ochroleucus, C. {Derm.) camurus, C. {Derm.) lepidopus, C. {Tela.) 

 laniger, C. {Tela.) impennis, C. {Tela.) hinnuleiis, C. {Tela.) 

 helvelloides , C. {Tela.) uijiicundiis, C. {Tela.) paleaceus, C. 

 {Hygr.) bicolor, C. {Hygr.) uraceus, C. {Hygr.) leiicopus (very 

 plentiful), C. {Hygr.) erythrhius, C. {Hygr.) acufus. 



Hygrophorus cJirysodon was fairly common in most of the 

 woods, nor was H. glutinifer rare. 



(To be cotitimied.) 



Naturalist, 



