Crossland : Mycological Meeting at Sandsend. 381 
and humus for their pabulum. There were no crowds of 
anything anywhere similar to such as we have seen covering 
the ground in suitable places, and on decaying logs, at this 
time of the year. Many of those found had to be diligently 
sought out ; possibly this may account for the number of 
small Mycenae and other species which occur on bits of rotting 
branches, twigs and dead leaves in moist places, overgrown 
and sheltered by this year’s herbaceous vegetation. 
The foray was fixed a fortnight later in the reasonable 
expectation that some little variations in the fungus flora 
might be seen, more particularly in the Cortinarii. This is 
by far the most numerous genus in the European Agaricaceae, 
and, as a rule, the species occur rather later than most agarics. 
There are over 270 species known to Europe, 190 of which 
have been recorded for Britain, 113 for Yorkshire, and 52 for 
Mulgrave. Yet, only two were found this time, one of the two 
however is an addition to the district, making a previous 51 
into 52. 
The collecting baskets, vascula, pocket boxes, and glass 
tubes, came in day after day with fewer contents than ever. 
The past summer and autumn have not been favourable 
to a luxuriant development of fungus mycelium (or spawn) 
and fruit ; but, on the other hand, what has been infinitely 
better for the country, the seasons have been in favour of the 
growth of fine crops of farm and garden produce of all des- 
criptions, and a splendid all round harvest and reaping time 
with less disease ; a dissatisfied farmer has been a rarity this 
autumn in Britain. 
A couple of the ubiquitous Armillaria mellea even were 
brought in which had not succeeded in ringing their stems 
for want of sap. The ringless stems and absence of one or 
two other usual features tended at first to obscure their identi- 
fication, and they were an all-round puzzle for a little while. 
Eventually their identity dawned on one of the examiners 
and they were accepted amid an outburst of merriment, etc., 
at the idea of all being temporarily taken in by so common an 
agaric. It is certainly very variable, but normally its ring 
is one of its most prominent features. 
There were exceptions, of course, as there are in everything. 
In one place a good sized hand basket was filled entirely with 
the edible Agaricus augustns : fine specimens, in the pink of 
condition. These furnished an extra tasty dish for the break- 
fast table the following morning ; they are closely allied to the 
ordinary mushroom and equally good. Unfortunately thirteen 
sat down, and the supply was not sufficient to go round. 
One remarkable feature at these forays is, however small 
the number of species found, fresh ones, not previously seen 
in the district, are almost certain to be met with. This fact 
1914 Dec. 
