6 THE ESSEX FUNGI AND HOW THEY SHOULD BE
first instance, that it should be educational, or rather, let us say,
that it should be a public exhibition of the Natural History,
including the Anthropology of the Forest, as well as, to a certain
extent, of its antiquities ; but at all events an Exhibition, which
should be local, not as regards the Forest, but local as regards the
County of Essex, and as educational as the funds and other
circumstances would permit.
The other phase of its dual character, is, as we imagine, that
it should constitute a repository for the Flora and Fauna of Essex.
That, whilst on the one hand it should appeal to the general
public, on the other it should secure the interest of the Essex
Naturalist, and Man of Science. At present the energies seem to
have been addressed to the development of the first phase of its
character. To the latter, future effort will have to be directed.
It occurs to me that if this centre is to be scientific as well as of
general interest, it should include, if not a Herbarium of the
flowering plants of the Forest and county, which might be too
bulky, and less essential, at least some attempt at collecting and
preserving the Cryptogamia of Essex, as being far more valuable
than mere lists, for recording the Flora of Essex. I would not
suggest anything too ambitious, but rather that a commencement
should be made in a humble way, to establish a county record.
No one would deny that a collection of the Insect Fauna of
the county would be valuable, and that after all it could be com-
pressed within a limited space, but this I leave to the Entomo-
logist. In the same way, and to the same extent, might the
Cryptogamia be compressed, and prove in future times a valuable
aid to the County Historian. It seems to me possible to preserve
and mount dried specimens of the Algae, Lichens, Minute-Fungi,
Liverworts, Mosses, and their allies, on quarto stiff paper, one
sheet to each species, and enclose these in portfolios, which could
be arranged on shelves, after the manner of books. By this
means, gradual development is possible, because the sheets could
be intercalated, and arranged in order, like a pack of cards, and
additions always made without trouble, so that the growth might
be gradual, and the expense small in any one year. Additional
paper and additional portfolios would only be required when those
previously acquired are all used up. Moreover, in this state they
would always be available and useful, even in the most frag-
mentary condition, for consultation and study.
As to the extent to which Fungi could thus be represented,
I am not prepared to advise the attempt with the fleshy fungi,