Journal of Proceedings. xlix
excursion better officered, and the President and Secretary were full of
congratulations as they conducted their batch of visitors towards Monk's
Woods, the appointed afternoon rendezvous. Alas ! just as we entered
the broad shadow of the trees, down came the rain, sullenly and remorse-
lessly. In vain did we shelter ourselves, "sub tegmine fagi," making
occasional sallies into the open to secure some particularly large or
fascinating Fungus. We soon became uncomfortably moist, and when
Mr. Smith's and Mr. English's parties appeared, crossing a sedgy wood
opening, and looking if possible even wetter than ourselves, we, after a
brief consultation, adopted the advice of the "weterans," and struck
the woodland path across the valley to the "Forester's Arms." Just
outside the woods we met the last arrivals from the station, and the
united parties fled before the pitiless tempest. A short lull in the storm
tempted us to make another incursion to the woods, but we could not
get far. However, we found Dr. Cooke's party loaded with spoils. The
genial Doctor's wonderful bag was stocked with type specimens for his
Lecture, and one enthusiastic member had converted his umbrella into
a temporary vasculum, preferring to bear the rain rather than run the
risk of spoiling his pretty Agaricini and Boleti; whilst Mr. Grut (the
well-known Librarian to the Entomological Society) carried in triumph
an immense Boletus edulis, 2 feet 41/4 inches in circumference, which he
had gathered at High Beach. But the downpour soon forced the
botanists back. Just outside the Forest a large specimen of the "Parasol
Mushroom" (Agaricus procerus) was noticed, a species of very fine
edible qualities. Listening to the chatty reports of the skilled botanists,
it was soon evident that in spite of bad weather the afternoon's hunt
had proved very successful. Doctors Cooke and Wharton had gathered
nearly sixty species, including many rare and remarkable forms, par-
ticularly the generally scarce Agaricus ericaeus, which they found com-
monly. But their greatest prize was Agaricus udus, a species new to
Britain; this interesting species was found in great plenty. Mr.
Worthington Smith also found on dung numerous specimens of Agaricus
sphinctrinus, which he took to be new to our flora; but on this point
Doctors differ, and Dr. Cooke informs the writer that the species has
been already recorded. Mr. Smith had been busy determining and
registering the species met with, and his list extended to more than
forty species. Amongst the notable forms recorded by him may be
mentioned Agaricus radicosus, growing from the ground on hidden stumps.
It has pink gills and mimics the common mushroom, for which it could
be easily mistaken, but it is very poisonous and dangerous. Ag. subla-
teriteus, a new form of this species with deeply decurrent gills. The
orange Chantarelle (Cantharellus cibarius), a pretty species with an
odour like apricots, and which is so good when cooked that a botanist
once said that a well-prepared dish of it would arrest the pangs of
death, was very common in Monk's Woods, and at High Beach.
4