Journal of Proceedings.
liii
fungi being sweet and nutty to the taste, others bitter and highly
pungent.
Professor Maxime Cornu, who was very cordially received, and who
spoke in French, said he felt much flattered by the honour they had
done him. He was very charmed to be able to be present at such a
pleasant reunion of London botanists. In his opinion, meetings of the
kind had the greatest scientific interest independently of their social
and friendly character. He hoped, on his return, to initiate similar
meetings in Paris, and he need not say that any he saw around him
would find a hearty welcome there.
A few practical observations on fungus hunting were made by Mr.
Howse and Mr. Holmes, time forbidding any further extended remarks,
and then the party sallied forth to catch the train at the Loughton
Station. Shining like "a good deed in a naughty world," our leader's
entomological lanthorn signalled the way through the almost im-
penetrable darkness, and enabled us to steer our course without much
discomfort. Mr. Smith records some of the conversation of the
experts as they trudged through the Essex lanes. In reference to the
darkness, M. Cornu said that Dr. Quelet could recognize several
species of Hydnum in the dark by merely squeezing the hymenial
surface between his fingers and noting the amount of moisture exuded.
Someone else said he could always make out Phallus impudicus in the
dark, even without touching it, and Mr. English said he always knew
the poisonous Russula emetica from any other species because the red
colour of the pileus invariably got washed out and dissolved over the
gills by his hot wax process—a character, so far as he knew, peculiar
to this species. He also said R. emetica turns brownish-black in drying,
These characters (if they are to be relied upon) are very valuable, as
no species is more difficult to make out with certainty than R. emetica,
its characters being closely "mimiced" by several other red Russulas,
said Mr. Smith. The rain holding off for a brief space, and friendly
converse so beguiling the time, all ended happily, and the last Field
Meeting of the season is, in everything but the weather, a pleasant
memory.
[In penning the last gossiping report, the Hon. Secretary cannot
refrain from taking the opportunity of publicly thanking all friends,
scientific and others, to whose kind aid and encouragement the success
of the first series of these pleasant gatherings has been mainly due. In
spite of bad weather, the interest taken in them by the members has
never waned, and we may hope that the next season's meetings will
profit from the legacy of pleasant recollections bequeathed by those
of 1880.]