218 SIXTY YEARS OF BRITISH MYCOLOGY.
To which we may add for comparison—
Gray's Natural Arrangement (1821) .. .. 803
Berkeley, in Smith's English Flora (1836) .. 1390
Hence we learn that the total of British Fungi known
previous to her Majesty's accession were —
1836 Berkeley's Supplement .. .. .. 1390
and afterwards—
1860 Berkeley's Outlines of Fungology .. .. 1450
1871 Cooke's Handbook .. .. .. 2810
It is only by comparison of statistics that we can realize
the progress which was made in sixty years. From investiga-
tions made about two years ago it became manifest that the
total number of species of Fungi recorded for the British Islands
had advanced from the 1,390 of 1836 to no less than 5,200 in
1896, or nearly four times the original number. In the previous
fifty years the total had only advanced from 555 in 1796 to 1,390
in 1836. Hence our first fact is eliminated, that the increase in
the number of recorded species was nearly double the ratio of
increase in the preceding half century.
This fact leads us to a second enquiry and that is, to ascer-
tain in what section of that particular study was the increase the
most remarkable. By comparison of the same authorities we
can learn that the number of species of larger fungi, determin-
able by the naked eye, principally the Basidiomycetes, were
recorded in 1836 as about 570 species, whereas in 1896 the same
group was represented by 2,030 species.
On the whole it is not surprising that the increase in the
larger and more conspicuous species should fall but little below
the ratio for all the sections together. Especially when we take
into account the readiness with which they may be seen by the
pedestrian without the trouble of minute searching. But we
would fain think that the large ratio has been caused by one or
two collateral circumstances. The first of these has been the
extension and more active operations of local Field Clubs, and
especially in the organization of annual Fungus Forays. One
of the earliest, and we believe the first and most successful of
these organizations, was the Woolhope Naturalists Field Club of
Hereford, which was not established until 1851, and did not
commence its Forays until 1868, after which they became
annual for about a quarter of a century. These meetings, which
lasted through the greater part of the week, were the means of
discovering a great many additional species, besides giving an