38 
FUNGUS FORAYS. 
enumerated, and of these only one or two individuals had been 
seen. Two old and dry specimens of Strobilomyces only were 
found, and this has generally been a species of certain occur- 
rence somewhere during the Woolhope week. Marasmius Hud- 
soni was rather plentiful on Holly leaves, but scarcely any- 
thing else of interest. The Wednesday’s excursion was made 
in the woods of Downton Hall, now for the first time visited 
by the Club. The excursion was in itself a pleasant one, but 
as barren of results as the previous day had been, only sixty- 
eight species being determined, of which the most interesting 
was Agaricus ( Inocybe ) hoemactus , a species first found at Credin- 
hill several years ago, and now seen again for the second time. 
Although the total number of species found was below that of 
the Tuesday, there was a larger number of interesting species, 
such as Agaricus pelianthinus, calamistratus, acerosus , Friesii , 
Marasmius erythropus, and Russula Linncei. The Club day, 
Thursday, was occupied by a morning excursion to Dinmore, 
where about sixty species were determined between 10 a.m. and 
2 p.m. ; but this number had to be made up by recourse to 
microscopical species. The annual dinner afterwards, at the 
Green Dragon Hotel, was characterized by no especial feature, 
and Hydnum repandum was the fungus dish cooked “ from the 
Club recipes,” and served round to the assembled guests. In 
the evening, at a conversazione held at the house of T. Cam, 
Esq., one of the past presidents of the Club, a very large party 
of ladies and gentlemen were assembled, and papers read by E. 
C. Phillips, F.L.S., “ On the Occurrence of the great Black 
Woodpecker in Great Britain;” by Rev. J. E. Yize, on “ The 
Breathing System of Flowering Plants and their Allies ; ” and 
by W. Phillips, F.L.S., “ On Popularizing the Knowledge of 
Edible and Poisonous Fungi,” which latter was followed by a 
lively and interesting discussion, mainly on the proposal to 
recognize a few definite popular names for common edible fungi, 
and to disseminate information concerning them as widely as 
possible, especially amongst rural populations. The last day 
“ of this eventful history ” was devoted to Stoke Edith Park, 
and as park lands are perhaps the driest and most unproductive 
of any this year, it will not be surprising to learn that the 
record scarcely exceeded fifty, although more than half of these 
were pastoral species, which had not been met with on previous 
days. There is nothing more left to be recorded, save, after a 
careful comparison of all the lists, it may be that one or two 
species have been added to the county catalogue, but this is 
very doubtful. Reports have reached us of a plentiful harvest 
of fungi in Devonshire, and of a profusion in the Korth, but 
our own experiences in Essex, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Surrey, 
etc., during the past two or three weeks have satisfied us that, 
as a general rule, the present autumn has been unusually 
barren of fungi, no better, if not worse, than last year. 
