autumn, in sandy soil, on the side of a road about three miles from Kelso. The Club, on a visit to the station, found several speci mens. In the economy of Nature the Hymenomycetes serve to nourish a host of insects and of snails :- "Fungi," saith Linnæus, “magis conveniunt alendis muscis, quam hominibus." But their main purpose seems to be the hastening of the decomposition of the organic substances which supply the office of matrix to them, and with which they unite in forming humus or vegetable soil. Ann. N. Hist. ix. p. 293. In the performance of this useful office one species-the Merulius lachrymans or Dry-Rot-steps often aside to do great disservice to man. I need not indicate the extent of its destruction in the wood-work of many of our houses and buildings; but it is seldom that we see the Fungus in its full development, when it is really a beautiful object. Johnstoni. (5) firma. fructigena. Bulgaria inquinans. sarcoides. Tubercularia vulgaris. confluens. granulata. Cenangium ferrugineum. quercinum. Hysterium pulicare. elongatum, B. fraxini. rugosum. pinastri. Leptostroma vulgare. spirææ. (1.) GEOGLOSSUM VIRIDE. "Banks of Tweed near Melrose." Prof. Walker Arnott. (2.) Peziza ACETABULUM. On the primrose bank in the plantation above Newwater-haugh, May 22, 1845. (3.) P. RUDIS. Berkeley in Trans. Berk. N. Club, ii. 190; and in Ann. and Mag. N. Hist. vii. Ser. 2. p. 183. "Hab. Pease-bridge dean, on a shallow gravelly and peat soil, with Polytrichum aloides. -Whole plant of a watery yellowish-brown with a vinous tint, paler when dry, of a rather firm texture. Cup-2 inch high, of an inch broad, turbinato-stipitate, minutely fibrilloso-striate. Hymenium plane, or more or less pitted and depressed, but not truly cupshaped. Asci elongated, clavate, much attenuated below. Sporidia obovateoblong. Stem more or less elongated, angular, pitted, sometimes striate.-Resembling somewhat in habit Pez. punicea, as figured by Purton, Midl. Fl. tab. 25. Its closest affinity seems to be with Pez. clavus, Alb. and Schw., and like that it has a tougher texture than others of the section Mollisia. The sporidia in that species, which is extremely variable as regards colour and form, are regularly oblongo-elliptic, with a nucleus at either extremity, and not narrower at one end as in the present species." Berkeley. (4.) P. ANOMALA. I regret that, from incorrect observation of this species, I have unfortunately introduced two spurious plants into the British Flora, viz. Trichia faginea and Peziza faginea. The blunder has been corrected by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley in Hooker's Brit. Flora, ii. 2. p. 199. (5.) P. JOHNSTONI. "Sessilis; cupulis globosis subturbinatis demum tantum apertis rufis sericeo-nitentibus, subtus subiculo lato nigro-fusco grumoso-piloso affixis. Berwick, Dr. Johnston." See Plate XI. fig. 3. 66 Forming a uniform stratum on decayed sticks. Cups half a line broad, at first brown and pulverulent, at length rufous, rather thin with a satiny lustre, subturbinate, with the margin permanently inflected, at first quite closed. Subiculum granulated, grumous, obscurely floccose. I have seen no other specimen of this remarkable species, which has some resemblance to P. fusca, but is in reality extremely different, and has rather a tropical than a European habit. If the figure of P. fusca by Letellier be not exaggerated, it may possibly be the same species, but I am inclined to think such is not the case. I have in vain waited to obtain further information respecting this species, and am now unable to give any account of its fructification, as I cannot find any perfect asci." Berkeley in Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. xiii. 356. The Morel (Morchella esculenta) and the Helvellæ are eatable, but are not eaten. The Peziza coccinea is the most beautiful of Fungi; and has an additional interest in the eyes of the botanist, for its beauty led Persoon to the study of the class, of the scientific arrangement of which he was the first to lay the foundation. The appointed office of the order is the decomposition of organic matter, and making it again fit for entering into new combinations. (1.) "Gravem censemus Floristarum errorem has in plantarum indigenarum numero habere; species, quæ in planta peregrina tantum observata est et cum hac sine dubio periret, pro indigena neutiquam haberi potest. Hæc methodus omnes geographicas rationes subvertit, ut regio caldariis et arboreto exotico ornata ex his multiplo plures numeret species quam regio nativa." Fries, Sum. Veg. Scand. p. 378.-There is so much of truth in this opinion, that it would be well in future to distinguish the alien species by some mark in our Floras. I have followed the usual rule, for it would be unwise to omit them until it has been proved that the fungi produced on alien or naturalized plants are identical with those produced on the same plants in their native climates. (2.) In the British Flora, ii. 2. p. 110, my species was referred to Sph. byssiseda; but Mr. Berkeley has since seen the specimens, which belong to Sph. aquila. See also Ann. Nat. Hist. vi. p. 361. (3.) SPH. DERASA = S. calva, Johnst. Fl. Berw. ii. p. 128. Berkeley and Broome in Ann. and Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. ix. p. 328, pl. 11. fig. 25, b.-The species had been previously referred to Sph. comata. Brit. Fl. ii. 2. p. 273. (4.) The specimens in my collection, which Mr. Berkeley thinks belong to the true Sph. sentina, are on the leaves of the Black Currant. (5.) SPH. RUMICIS S. lichenoides, var. d. Johnst. Fl. Berw. n. p. 131. See Berkeley and Broome in Ann. and Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. ix. p. 384. (6.) D. JOHNSTONI, "maculis minutis orbicularibus; cellulis concentricis semiliberis, ascis brevibus; sporidiis obovato-oblongis uniseptatis." Berkeley and Broome in Ann. and Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. ix. p. 386.-Plate XI. fig. 1. "On the leaves of a small Epilobium, Berwick, Dr. Johnston.— Forming little black spots about a line broad studded with concentric half-free cells with a little round aperture; there are sometimes a few scattered short stiff brown hairs on the surface, occasionally converging over the orifice. Asci short, subcylindrical, generally rather thicker below. Sporidia biseriate, obovate-oblong, at length pale brown, uniseptate.-Dothidea Epilobii is totally different, and there is no other species with which it can be compared. It has almost the habit of a Depazea, or rather of Sphæria Rumicis." Berkeley and Broome. (7.) See Berkeley in Ann. Nat. Hist. vi. p. 365. (8.) On the leaves of Polygala vulgaris in September. I am indebted to the Rev. M. J. Berkeley for the determination of the species; and I avail myself of this place to express my grateful sense of the many obligations I owe to this profound and learned mycologist. Mr. Berkeley has examined, with patient care and kindness, most of my specimens of Fungi; and he has furnished me with the drawings of those new species which occupy two of the plates of this work. I return him my best and sincere thanks. (9.) “PHLYCTÆNA JOHNSTONI, n. s. Maculis latioribus; pseudoperitheciis brunneis; sporophoris flexuosis amplis, sporis elongatis curvis, medio nodulosis." Berkeley and Broome in Ann. and Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. ix. p. 328.—Plate XI. fig. 2. "The spores are several times longer than in the original species, the sporophores highly developed, and towards the centre of the spores there is generally a distinct knot, and frequently the outline is more or less irregular." Berkeley. GASTEROMYCETES. Phallus fœtidus. (1) Diderma vernicosum. Didymium farinaceum. Physarum bryophilum. nutans, a. Craterium leucocephalum. Stemonites fasciculata. typhoides. (3) violacea. (4) Arcyria punicea. Trichia clavata. turbinata. Licea fragiformis. Sclerotium semen. muscorum. neglectum. (5) Spermoëdia clavus. (6) Onygena equina. Raccodium cellare. Erysiphe pannosa. Chaetomium elatum, Illosporium roseum. Bovista nigrescens. Lycoperdon giganteum. (8) gemmatum. (1.) "I had been struck with the published accounts of the extraordinary growth of Phallus foetidus, which was said to attain a height of 4 or 5 inches in as many hours. I procured three or four specimens in an undeveloped state, and placed them in a small glazed case. All but one grew during my temporary absence from home. I was determined not to lose sight of the last specimen ; and observing one evening that there was a small rent in the volva, indicating the approaching development of the plant, I watched it all night, and at eight in the morning the summit of the pileus began to push through the jelly-like matter with which it was surrounded. In the course of twenty-five minutes it shot up 3 inches, and attained its full elevation of 4 inches in one hour and a half. The entire life of the Phallus was four days." Ward. On the Growth of Plants in Glazed Cases, p. 68.-Several Fungi have a more transitory life; and some are equally rapid in their growth, or more so. The Agaricus comatus is, I think, an example of this fact; and I should be inclined to produce Lycoperdon giganteum as another. This remarkable fungus occasionally creates a passing wonder from |