membrane, volva, which is ruptured by the growth of the plant; the upper portion remaining on the pileus forming patches, warts or scales, the lower portion loosely surrounding the base of the stem. In many species the volva is imperceptible.

The gills are variable in size and shape; when all are of equal length they are simple, when shorter ones are interposed they are unequal. Each gill has commonly a central portion, trama. The surface on both sides of the gills is formed by the spore-bearing membrane, hymenium. The ordinary floccose trama is sometimes replaced by a layer of globular cells intermixed with vessels containing a milky fluid.

The hymenium is made up of parallel cells, the extremities of which form the surface. They are of three kinds; barren threadlike cells, paraphyses; other cells, basidia, which are somewhat larger and are attenuated towards the outer extremity which is sometimes slightly knobbed and bears from one to six, ordinarily four, minute points, sterigmata. Each sterigma supports a seed or spore. Sometimes may be found a third kind of cells, antheridia, simple, very delicate and filled with fluid containing minute particles which have a rapid swarming motion. These cells disappear before the basidia are developed.

The spores are variously shaped, globular, elliptical, straight or curved, obliquely truncate at one extremity, legumeniform, generally smooth but sometimes rough or echinulate. From the spore under circumstances favourable for germination is produced a a simple or branched filament which alone is incapable of fructification, but when the filaments of many spores unite, or when the filament of a single spore has become sufficiently compound, a soft white web, mycelium, is formed, from which springs the reproductive organ ordinarily regarded as the whole of the plant.

The measurements of spores in the accompanying list have in each instance been made with the assistance of a stage micrometer. If the spores in any particular species vary in size those of the largest kind have been taken as the standard. The longest diameter only has been given. The term elliptic I have used to denote an oval in which the longitudinal and transverse diameters are in

the proportion of three to two. The same proportion exists in oblong and fusiform spores, but in the former the sides are parallel, in the latter the ends are pointed.

The numbers following the names denote in inches, unless otherwise expressed,

1st. The height of the plant.

2nd. The breadth of the pileus.

3rd. The diameter of the stem.

E.F. The English Flora, vol. v., by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley.

S.M. Systema Mycologicum. Fries.

An. Annals and Magazine of Natural History.

HYMENOMYCETES.

FAM. I. AGARICINI. Fries.

Genus 1. AGARICUS.

SERIES I. Leucospori.

Sub-genus AMANITA.

§a. Ring conspicuous.

1 A. MUSCARIUS. L. 4-7. 3-5.-.

Pileus vermilion or orange red, dotted with white conical warts, margin striate; ring not striate. The most beautiful of all the British Agarics. "Highly narcotic, producing in small doses intoxication and delirium, for which purpose it is used in Kamschatka, and in larger, death." Wood near Woolton, Oct., 1856. Knowsley Park, near the Longborough Lodge, Oct., 1857.

2 A. PANTHERINUS. Dec. 6. 4. 1.

More slender and less highly coloured than the preceding species; warts flat; volva loose. Three or four specimens occurred under beech trees, Rainhill; the warts had nearly disappeared, and the pileus had a flea-bitten appearance, yellowish and red, which may have suggested the name.

3 A. MAPPA. Willd. 3-4. 2-21. 1.

Pileus convex, at first warty, margin smooth, pure white or lemon-coloured. Bold wood; abundant in Eastham wood. In both these localities the plant has its volva forming "a mere rim fringing the bulb." A. phalloides. E.F. syn.

4 A. RUBESCENS. Pers. 3-5. 3-5. 1-11.

Pileus reddish grey; warts unequal; ring striate. The flesh when broken changes after a while to a reddish hue. Stem scaly. Whole plant stout and fleshy. Spores broadly elliptic, or oblong, 0005. Woods and under trees; generally distributed

§ b. Ring inconspicuous.

5 A. VAGINATUS. Bull. 5-8. 31-5. 1—1.

Pileus when young covered with large patches of the volva, which soon disappear, mouse-grey or fawn with the lustre of satin, margin beautifully furrowed. Spores round, nucleus large. 00045. In woods; generally distributed but not abundant.

Sub-genus LEPIOTA.

6 A. PROCERUS. Scop. 5-9. 3—6. .

Pileus fleshy, obtusely conic, then nearly plain; epidermis greyish brown, breaking up into large shaggy scales; gills free; stem strong, bulbous, with an ample, moveable ring. Spores elliptic. 0009. Grassy places and sides of lanes. Knowsley. Rainhill. Bidston. Childwall.

7 A. EXCORIATUS. Schaeff. 2—3. 1-3. 1.

Evidently allied to A. procerus, but smaller, the pileus less umbonate; epidermis cracked into little patches but not squarrose; ring more delicate and not so loose on the subbulbous stem. Spores elliptic. ⚫0008. Pastures. New Brighton.

8 A. CLYPEOLARIUS. Bull.

2-24. 1-1. 2 lines.

Pileus campanulate, strongly umbonate; epidermis rather white and shining; squarrose scales arranged concentrically; umbo obtuse, yellowish olive, appearing as if denuded; stem minutely scaly; odour none. Spores legumeniform. 00033. In a grassy hollow, New Brighton.

9 A. CRISTATUS. Bolt. 1}—2}. 1—14. 1 line.

Pileus thin and crisp, conical, or expanded and sharply umbonate, scaly, white, apex brown. Odour acrid, like that of hot oil. Under walls and hedges. Rainhill and Croxteth.

10 A. GRANULOSUS. Batsch.

The typical form of A. granulosus does not appear to be found in this neighbourhood, at least I have seen no plant agreeing with the fig. given by Batsch.

var. AMIANTHINUS. Fr. 2-3. §. §.

Pileus obtusely umbonate, farinaceous, orange tawny; stem pale, scaly below the ring which is of the same colour as the pileus. Spores elliptic. 00025. Fir woods amongst moss. Knowsley and Stourton.

a. 3. —. .

Pileus pale, sub-viscid when moist, not powdery, strongly wrinkled. Pastures, under trees. Knowsley.

B. 2. 11.

Pileus convex, smooth, nearly white, margin fringed. Open pastures. Knowsley.