86 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Mr. Bernard Ward then commented upon the Mycetozoa. Thirty-three
species had been collected. The wet summer and autumn had been ideal
for the growth of Mycetozoa and several of the species had been encountered
in exceptionally profuse developments. He thanked Mr. Boss for his con-
tinued help in determining species.
Professor Ingold then spoke of the results of the fungi collecting. In the
dry weather which had prevailed during previous seasons ground fungi were
often scarce and fungi growing on wood were plentiful. In this very wet
season this had not been the case and lignicolous fungi were not in great
profusion. Discomycetes were poorly represented. Of the Basidiomycetes
several species of Clavaria and Craterellus cornucopioides were in profusion.
The Polyporaceae were poor and only a very few Boletus species had been
collected but they included B. parasiticus which grows as a parasite on
Scleroderma. The rather rare Ganoderma lucidum had been encountered and
good quantities of Hydnum repandum had been seen. Among the Agaricaceae
several species of Russula and Lactarius (now separated from Agaricaceae
by many mycologists) had occurred. Amanita spp. were very poorly repres-
ented, none being at all numerous. Laccaria laccata in its various forms was
common and a fine specimen, containing many sporophores, of Pholiota
aurivella had been collected with some difficulty at a height of some twelve
feet on a beech trunk. Cantharellus tubaeformis was encountered in excep-
tionally large quantities. Of the Gasteromycetes several of the puff-ball
species occurred and also specimens of Phallus impudicus and Mutinus caninus.
An interesting find was a good spread of Sphaerobolus stellatus which is
remarkable for the catapult-like mechanism by which the spores are discharged.
Mrs. Boardman followed by thanking Professor Ingold for his valuable
and expert help during the day and Messrs. Pratt, Dyce and Bernard Ward
for leading the various collecting groups. She announced that eighty-nine
species of fungus had been collected. She also exhibited a fungus
(Chlorosplenium) which she had obtained from another part of the country and
had grown in her garden for several years. This fungus stains the wood upon
which it grows an intense green colour and wood thus affected has been
used in the manufacture of various articles for the sake of its ornamental
effect.
Stems of a rush which were found during the Foray bore what appeared
to be conspicuous leafy inflorescence. These were reported upon by Mr.
Bernard Ward as follows: —
Houard gives twelve species of Juncus galled by the psyllid Livia juncorum
Latr. Branches of the inflorescence are transformed "par cladomanie et
phylomanie" into a mass of crowded leaves. Reddish shortened sheath
enlarged and the part atrophied.
Mycetozoa noted on the Fungus Foray
Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa Macbr. Diderma floriforme Pers.
Badhamia utricularis Berk. Diachea leucopoda Rost.
Physarum viride Pers. Didymium difforme Duby
P. nutans Pers. D. clavus Rabenh.
P. sinuosum Weinm. D. nigripes Pries
Fuligo septica Gmel. D. squamulosum Pries
Craterium minutum Fries D. laxifila G. Lister & Ross
C. leucocephalum Ditm. Stemonitis hyperopta Meylan
Leocarpus fragilis Rost. Stemonitis ferruginea Ehrenb.