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} THE NUTRITION OF FUNGI. 
Br H. MARSHALL WARD, S:.D., F.R.S., PLS. F.RAS.; 
Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Honorary Fellow of Christ's 
College, and Professor of Botany in the University of Cambridge. 
Honorary Fellow of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical 
Society and of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 
———— 
Ladies and Gentlemen, 
We are told that there are at least 40,000 to 50,000 
species of Fungi, some say more. As to the accuracy of the census 
I cannot decide, but the ponderous fact obtrudes that some people 
have taken charge of this vast family, and undertake to recognise and 
name many of them and to have a nodding acquaintance with the 
rest. True, the recognition and naming are frequently done with the 
aid of photographs, drawings and measurements, etc., as is done in 
the case of higher organisms with the aid of portraits, anthropometric 
devices, Galton’s finger-prints, etc., but the astounding fact remains 
that some of my friends can identify hundreds, if not thousands, of 
these Fungi at sight, and if they do hesitate occasionally as to whether 
a given species of Lactarius is L. theiogalus (Fr.) or L. subdulcts, 
L. serifluus or L. quietus, or whether a doubtful MZollzsia is the true 
M. cinerea (Batsch) or one of the numerous forms that may have been 
mistaken for it, they adopt the honest and sensible plan of submitting 
the question for discussion and reference to the Z'ransactions of the 
British Mycological Society and other works of authority and repute. 
Personally, I must confess to a profound admiration of the powers 
of close and astute observation, and retentive memories for details of 
these friends of mine, as well as to an utter inability to emulate their 
confidence in the field, and were it not that I have frequently had 
occasion to test these powers in most enjoyable rambles in pursuit of 
Fungi in their natural haunts, should have been much more sceptical 
of its being possible to attain such confidence. 
With these convictions, you will scarcely wonder if I hesitated to 
incur the responsibility of addressing you in my present capacity, and 
deeply sensible as I am of the honour of being your president, it is 
Ieee gage rere reer enecmenneaeeneen 
