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tliat in due course came to be sawn up at Brandon, where Avood 
only of British growth is, I am informed, used. — C. B. Plowrigut. 
Poisoning by Agaricus (amanita) phalloidfs. In the 
‘Transactions of the bforfolk and iS^orwich Naturalists’ Society’ for 
1872-3, there is a paper by Dr. Beverley on “Edible Fungi,” and 
from the uumber of correspondents he found interested in the 
subject it seems Norfolk is quite a fungus-eating county. Since 
then two, if not three fatal cases of poisoning by fungi have 
occurred in the county. In two of these I tried my utmost to 
determine the species of the fungus Avhich caused death, but was 
unable to gather any satisfactory evidence upon the iioint. Last 
Seiitember a boy gathered, in mistake for mushrooms, some 
specimens of Agaricus phalloidcs, on the road leading beside the 
Blackhills plantation at Castle Bising. He ate some of these as he 
Avalked along, and in the course of 9G hours died from acute 
symptoms of irritant poisoning. As far as I can learn, he did not 
cat altogether more tlian was equal to about one-third of a medium- 
sized fungus. It AA'as 12 hours before any symptoms at all avere 
jiroduced. But the point avhich is of the most importance is, that 
the fungus, although eaten raw, had no unpleasant taste, and yet 
produced symptoms of irritant poisoning ; for it is often thought 
by fungus-eaters, that as long as a fungus has not a hot acrid taste, 
it cannot be very dangerous. Agaricus phalJoidcs is avell known 
to be a poisonous fungus, and has so little resemblance to a 
mushroom, that no ordinary person would think for an instance of 
confounding the two. — C. B. Plowright. 
On the occurrence of Ergot upon Wheat during the 
past Autumn (1879). The ergotisation of Wheat Avhich has occurred 
in many parts of West Norfolk during the past year, is interesting, 
not only from a scientific point of vieiv, but also from an economic 
one. Many grasses proper, as ■well as other members of the 
Graminem, are ergotised annually to a greater or less degree. In 
this immediate neighbourhood the grasses most frequently affected 
arc Lolimn perenne, Triliciim repens, Dactglis glomcrata, and 
Ulycera Jhiitans. The common reed, Phragmites communis, is 
constantly and abundantly affected. About two years ago my 
attention Avas drawn to a foAV Ergots amongst the “ tail-corn,” or 
refuse, separated from Wheat in the process of dressing. These 
