86 
FUNGUS FOKAY IN IRELAND. 
The first Fiingns Foray ever lield in Ireland took place on 18th 
September, 1883, under the auspices of the Belfast Naturalists’ 
Field Club. 
An excursion was organised to Shane’s Castle Demesne as being 
the oldest and most extensive wmod in Ulster. It lies in the 
County Antrim, fourteen miles north of Belfast. 
Nothing could have been more propitious than the weather, nor 
more abundant than the fungi, in picking specimens of which a 
large party of members and friends spent a long and pleasant day 
under the guidance of the Rev H. W. Lett. 
A prize, a volume of Cooke’s Fungi, having been offered for the 
best collection, eleven competitors displayed the contents of their 
bags, the numbers being respectively 8, 10, 14, 15, 20, 21, 31, 33, 
34, 40, 56, representing in all about 80 species, distributed as 
follows : — 
Agaricini 
... 
... 61 
Polyporei... 
. . . 
... 8 
Clavariei ... 
... 2 
Trichogastres 
. . . 
... 2 
Auricularini 
... 3 
Elvellacei 
... 
... 4 
Here, as elsewhere in the North of Ireland, it was noticed that 
this year Agaricus campestris was one of the rarities. The most 
abundant were Agaricus nehularis and Lactarius torminosus, which 
were everywhere in thousands. Only one Lycoperdon giganteum 
and one Agaricus muscarius were met with. Several examples of 
Helotium ceruginosum were collected in perfect condition. The best 
find of the Foray was a colony of magnificent Sparassis, wonder- 
fully like cauliflowers, growing on the stump of an oak. 
H. W. Lett, M.A. 
.iEcimuM Bellidis, D.C. This fungus has hitherto been re- 
garded as one of the spore forms of Puccinia compositarum, Mart. 
During the past two years I have become convinced that this 
cannot be its true life history ; for upon the “daisy” no other spore 
forms occur. A series of experimental cultures made by me during 
the present winter have demonstrated the fact that this ypcidium is 
heteroecismal in its habit, and is connected with Puccinia obscura, 
Schrot. on Luzula. This Puccinia differs from P. luzulce, Lib., 
in having subglobose rough uredo-spores, whereas the uredo-spores 
of P. luzulce are elliptical and smooth. It has not previously been 
recorded as British. 
CHARLES B. PLOWRIGHT. 
King’s Lynn. 
