
a7 
NOTES AND COMMENTS ON THE AGARICINI OF GREAT 
BRITAIN. 
By Charles B. Plowright, M.D. 
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 
' Lapigs AND GENTLEMEN, | 
I need hardly say how great an honour I esteem it to 
occupy the presidential chair this evening on the occasion of the 
visit of the British Mycological Society to Dublin. 
Mycologists, if not a numerous body, are a very clannish one, 
and it seems to me that I am only meeting old friends. Our 
studies are beginning to be far more appreciated by our fellow- 
citizens than they once were, but after all we only constitute a very 
small section of the Army of Progress. One advantage of belong- 
ing to such a small corps is that we all know each other and that we 
are always certain of meeting with sympathy and kindness amongst 
our co-workers in whatever country we may happen to be—not only 
amongst English-speaking people, but in places where they do not 
speak English—at least, such has been my experience whenever I 
have been in France, in Holland, in Sweden, in Denmarf, and in Italy. 
It is sufficiently obvious that our Irish confreres are not behind- 
hand in the warm-heartedness of their reception of us. Needless to 
Say we anticipate an exceptionally pleasant meeting, and that we hope 
to learn much from you. 
Long presidential addresses are seldom interesting, dealing as 
arule with generalisations; they lack the piquancy of concrete facts; 
generally they are too long, and being usually post prandial, they are 
commonly soporific. Deeply regretting my inability to give an 
address which shall be at the same time eloquent and interesting, I 
have to fall back upon the records of some thirty odd years of practi- 
cal fieldwork amongst the larger fungi. 
