14 
ON MIMICRY IN FUNGI. 
so good for food as the last (A. procerus ), if really wholesome.”* * * § 
Fries, too, in his latest book, says, “ Vix edulis. ”f Of the imi- 
tators of the common mushroom three only are given ; none of 
them are very accurate copyists, but as most of the accidents 
which happen to the general public in this country arise from 
mistaking other fungi for A. campestris, it is clear it has mimickers. 
Aqaricus fasiibilis is given on the authority of Mr. W. G. Smith.J 
A. melaspermus is one of the closest mimics, even to the dark ring 
and separable cuticle. Lactarius torminosus and L. deliciosus fre- 
quently grow in company with each other, and I have often pointed 
out to my friends the impossibility, with some specimens, of 
saying which was which without gathering them. Fistulina 
hepatica and Polyporus quercinus would not have been in- 
cluded in this list had not the mistake occurred in Mrs. Hussey’s 
family of gathering and cooking the latter for the former. The 
error was only detected by the intense bitter taste of the Poly- 
porus and the brilliant yellow colour it assumed after salt had 
been sprinkled upon it. § 
Summary. — Instances of mimicry are not rare amongst fungi. 
They are more frequently attractive than protective mimicries. 
r i hey may be of vegetable, of animal, or of excrementitious sub- 
stances, either as regards external appearance or as regards odour. 
The main object of these mimicries is the attraction of insects, the 
advantages of which to the plants are — (1) Either fertilization of 
hymenomycetous spores by co-specific sperm atia from other indivi- 
duals, of by the transportation of spores from the hymenium of 
one fungus to that of another, or perhaps increased germinative 
energy to the spores is obtained by the admixture of other co-specific 
spores without the element of sexuality ; (2) the diffusion of 
fungus spores by insects as well as by the larger animals. 
King’s Lynn, 7th July, 1881. 
THE CRYPTOGAMIC SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND. 
The Seventh Annual Conference will be begun at Salen, Island 
of Mull, on Tuesday, August 30, 1881. Fellows who purpose 
being present may learn further on application to the Secretary 
after August. — F. Buchanan White. 
* Berkeley, “ Outlines,” p. 92. 
t Fries, “ Hymenomycetes Europsei,” p. 29. 
J Smith, “ Gardeners’ Chronicle,” 16th Nov., 1872. 
§ Hussey, “ Illustrations of British Mycology,” Series I., pi. 52. 
