Journal of Proceedings. li
wish for any nasty watery Fungus to be termed Peziza smithii, with the
humorous addendum of " Mr. Smith—in a water-butt."
Cannibalism is very common in Fungi. Amongst my drawings in the
British Museum is one representing a group of Agaricus lignatilis
growing upon Polyporus annosus whilst still attached to the tree. I have
also seen Agaricus tuberosus not only growing from the gills of Agarics
and Russulae but growing out of the tubes of Polyporus squamosus.
Agaricus loveianus grows on the top of Agaricus nebularis whilst still
alive, and a drawing of mine representing a family of the former growing
on the top of an example of the latter may be seen in the Bethnal Green
Museum. A sort of underground Truffle named Elaphomyces variegatus
is preyed upon by a comparatively large Fungus named Torrubia ophio-
glossoides, whilst an allied Elaphomyces, named E. granulatus, supports
a still larger parasite named Torrubia capitata. A Puff-ball-like Fungus
named Scleroderma vulgare is often preyed upon by a Fungus bigger than
itself named Boletus parasiticus. Two Fungi named Nyctalis asterophora
and N. parasitica grow upon Agarics and Russula. Peziza saniosa grows
on Thelephora sebacea, Peziza clavariarum on Clavarias, Peziza ery-
throstigma on Sphaerias, and Helotium pruinosum on Hypoxylon and
Diatrype.
I have only mentioned a few of the larger cannibals and parasites ;
some live on dead Fungus flesh and others on the living juices. The
microscopic species are far more numerous, and the microscopic parasites
often attack other parasites. For instance, the Boletus, which grows on
the living Scleroderma is often attacked whilst still alive by a sore pest
of Boleti named Hypomyces luteo-virens; the Pezizas which attack
Clavarias and other Fungi are sometimes eaten up by Bactridium
helvellae. The list of cannibals amongst Fungi might be extended to
an almost interminable length, for fungous fungivori are so common
that few species are exempt from attacks.
A few of the "lower orders "of Fungi are parasitic on Lichens, as
Dothidea piggotii, Sphinctrina turbinata, four species of Illosporium, and
others; but the Lichen subject is difficult to approach, as certain
professors have of late somewhat loudly taught us that there are no
such things as Lichens, but that Lichens are only Fungi involving and
growing parasitically over Alga?. If this hypothesis is a correct one
the species of Dothidea, Sphinctrina, and Illosporium just mentioned are
parasitic on Fungi, which are already parasitic on Algae. It is to be
regretted that the members of this Club have few opportunities of testing
the truth of the Schwendenerian hypothesis, as although unicellular
Algae and small Lichen-like Fungi are both extremely abundant in
Epping Forest, yet the very Lichens which are said to be the Fungi of
the one class, growing upon the very Algae belonging to the other class,
are nowhere to be found. When I printed this statement in a former
report of an Essex Field Club meeting, someone, thinking to effectively
silence me by proving that Lichens really could grow in London, wrote
that Sowerby had once found Lichens growing on the outside of the
dome of St. Paul's. This astounding statement in print temporarily
paralysed me; but on referring to Sowerby's works I soon discovered
that, instead of his finding Lichens growing outside the dome of St.
Paul's, what he really did find was a Fungus named a Myxogaster
growing in a gallery inside the building. I thereupon humbly wrote
again, begging to have my opponent's error corrected, and also to point
out that one of the strongest advocates for considering all Lichens to be
Fungi had previously taught us that all Myxogasters were animals and
not Funguses at all. I clearly pointed out that an animal found creep-
ing about (for Myxogasters do creep about) inside a church had been