134 NOTES ON FUNGI, FORESTAL AND OTHERS.
I have been informed recently, that the curious Lactarius obliquus has been
found, and is to be recorded for Epping Forest. I am very glad of this,
because no one but myself ever found it previously in this country, and I am
confident its determination was looked upon with suspicion, in some quarters.
It is the only species of Lactarius we have with a lateral stem.
Now we come to the great sphinx which has been the major conundrum
for years, and I do not intend, or pretend, to solve it. Of course it is repre-
sented by Hypholoma lacrymabundus and the supposed Agaricus storea. Let
anyone who pleases hunt up all the pages that have been written, but I shall
not quote them here. I am convinced that M. J. B. led me into error in
assuring me that what I figured as H. lacrymabundus, was that species accord-
ing to Fries. I am now satisfied, for several reasons, that it was not, and was
doubtless only a form of H. velutinus, with a scaly, instead of a silky pileus.
The next point is this—what is the fungus which has been called here Agaricus
storea ? and figured as such in the Illustrations. It is very certain that it is not
the Agaricus storea of Fries., whatever else it may be. At present I do not feel
quite satisfied that it is the veritable Hypholoma lacrymabundus of Fries. I
cannot swallow the whole pig at once.
Pl. 703 which was sent to Fries, also with fresh specimens, was declared
by him to be Cortinarius saginus, and was published under that name. Doubt-
less it was a lapse of memory on the part of the author, since the figure is
only Cortinarius triumphans, yet perhaps not quite typical, as the stem in the
figure does not "imitate a triumphal column" neither is it encircled by tawny
scales, disposed in numerous circles or rings. This is depicted better in plate
692, than in pl. 703, which latter has been characterised as "one of the best
figures in Cooke's Illustrations." However critics are sometimes permitted to
make mistakes, to prove themselves human.
Cortinarius torvus has long been a bogie to most of the Continental
mycologists, who certainly have fallen into error in regarding Cortinarius
berkeleyi as the genuine Cortinarius torvus of Fries. The figure in Fries' Icones
is quite enough to show that there is no affinity between them
I ought to feel extremely grateful for your kindness this
evening in listening to me so patiently, more so than ever,
because I have done so little to deserve it, except to bore you and
tantalize you with the most uninteresting and unattractive paper
I ever had the effrontery to read before you. My only excuse is
that it had to be done. Some victims had to be found, and I
hoped you would be good natured ones, and in this I have not
been disappointed.
[Dr. Cooke continued his address in the form of one of his
humorous analyses of the persons attending "Fungus Forays,"
especially urging the value of the social element of such gather-
ings.—Ed.]