NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED. 245
AGARICINI.
Agaricus (Mycena) rosellus, Fries, Cooke, "Illus." t. 131 a.
Agaricus (Psathyrella) subatratus, Batsch., Cooke, "Illus."
t. 633.
Bolbitius fragilis, Fries., Cooke, "Illus." t. 720 a.
Cortinarius (Hydrocybe) castaneus, Bull., Cooke,
"Illus." t. 842.
Hygrophorus (Camarophyllus) niveus, Fries., Cooke,
"Illus." t. 900 A.
Lactarius (Piperites) pubescens, Fries., Cooke, "Illus."
t. 974.
POLYPOREI.
Meruleus pallens, Berk.
It may be useful to add that coloured figures of nearly all the
Epping Forest Hymenomycetal Fungi, together with a copy of the
new edition of Dr. Cooke's "Handbook," will be placed in the
Forest Museum at Chingford.
NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
Albino Weasel near Colchester.—Late in December, 1892, I had brought
to me for preservation, a pure white specimen of the Common Weasel (Mustela
vulgaris) which had been shot near Colchester about the 20th of that month. It
was a genuine albino, as the eyes were pink and the flesh was unusually light in
colour. Although white, or partly white, specimens of the Stoat (Mustela erminea)
—not, however, true albinos—are common in cold winters, white specimens of the
weasel are very rare.—John Pettitt, 108, North Station Road, Colchester.
Puffin at Billericay.—According to the "Essex County Chronicle," a fine
specimen of the Puffin (Fratercula arctica), was caught alive at the end of the
year, by a lad in Water-lane Meadows, near the Congregational Church. It
measures 13 inches in length. It was purchased by Mr. Ramsey, of Billericay.
The Puffin is by no means common on the Essex coast from autumn to spring,
and its occurrence inland is, therefore, worth recording.
Rooks.—Dwellers in my coiner of the Forest are noting with great interest
that a colony of rooks has, apparently, decided to settle in the fine old elm trees
in Organ Lane, Chingford. This is flattering to the inhabitants of the houses
which abut on the lane, and we must hope that the confidence shown by the birds
will be merited. An excuse has often been given by speculative builders in the
forest districts that elm trees are generally unsound, and should, therefore, as a
matter of safety, be cut down. Is there not an old country legend that rooks will
not select unsound trees to build in ? I would much prefer the honest judgment
of the birds to any sayings of a "jerry builder." Since writing the above I have
received from Mr. T. V. Holmes the following note : "There was a small rookery
in two or three tall elms in Greenwich Park, opposite my house, in 1861 and