FUNGUS FORAY AT CASTLE HOWARD. 
69 
A. E. PECK. 
The Mycological Meeting of 1921 (the 296th Meeting of the 
Union) was held from October 1st to October 6th, with Head- 
quarters at Park House, Castle Howard. Members of the 
Committee present were : — Harold Wager, D.Sc., F.R.S., 
F.L.S., Chairman, (Leeds), W. N. Cheesman, J.P., F.L.S. 
(Selby), J. W. H. Johnson, M.Sc., F.L.S. (Walton), F. A. 
Mason, F.R.M.S. (Leeds), R. Fowler Jones (York), J. Ackroyd 
(Batley), Thos. Smith (Stockport), Greevz Fysher (Leeds), 
and A. E. Peck, Hon. Sec. (Scarborough). 
The following members of the Union and friends were also 
present, and completed the goodly attendance of twenty 
persons : — H. B. Booth, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., President of the 
Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union, and Mrs. Booth ; Mrs. Greevz 
Fysher, Miss Fysher, Mrs. Peck, W. G. Bramley (Fairburn), 
Rev. Geo. Howard Chilman, M.A. (Dalton), W. L. Jefferson 
(Coneysthorpe) , Clyve C. Laverack (Malton), Miss Minnie P. 
Williams (Malton), and Miss Daisy Hilary (Bingley). 
At the Business Meeting, the name of Miss Hilary was 
added to the Mycological Committee, and the President, Mr. 
Booth, was cordially welcomed and thanked for his presence. 
The last Fungus Foray held here was in 1909 (see The 
Naturalist, December 1909). 
The Beech trees forming the roadside avenues received 
early inspection, and were found to be suffering severely from 
attacks of Fomes fomentarius , Armillaria mucida and Pholiota 
squarrosa. These parasites were numerous on old Beech trees 
all over the estate. The old Oak trees of Raw Wood produced 
a good crop of the Beef Steak Fungus, Fistulina hepatica, and 
this fungus was also found in another direction growing on a 
Sweet Chestnut tree. The ‘ Beef-Steak ’ is said to be the 
cause of a deep red-brown decomposition in oak. It is 
recorded by Worthington Smith as having been found on 
trunks of Oak, Ash, Walnut, Willow, Beech, Chestnut, 
Hornbeam and Elm. C. Crossland, in the * Fungus Flora of 
Yorkshire,’ states that ‘ it has occurred on Hornbeam and 
Beech.’ Present members have not previously seen it on 
other host than Oak. 
Another polypore of unusual interest was Polyporus 
Schweinitzii , discovered on an old Larch tree in Quarry Wood, 
on the trunk, about six feet from the ground. This fungus is 
spongy-soft, and water-bearing, and is described as usually 
growing about the roots of fir, pine and larch. Mr. Carleton 
Rea describes this as a very destructive parasite, and, in the 
present instance, regrets to hear of its occurrence so far north. 
There are only two previous Yorkshire records, viz., at Farnley 
Wood and Scarborough, so that the county may be thankful 
for the rarity of this interesting fungus. 
1922 Feb. 1 
