BOTANY Many rare and interesting Hymenomycetes have been recorded in Norfolk where the deciduous woods of the eastern and central portions of the county, and the fir woods of the western and southern, have each their own special fungal flora. Of the fir woods the fungi are very character- istic : Amanita rubescens, Lacfarius rufus, Collybia maculata, Cantharellus aurantiacus, Hydnum auriscalpium, etc., are ever present and abundant. The county is distinctly poor in Cortinarii, only some thirty species being represented out of the total of nearly two hundred recorded in Massee's Fungus Flora. On the other hand Norfolk is famed for its Geasters having nine or ten out of the thirteen recorded for Britain. The grand G. coliformis, which was originally found between ' Gillingham and Earsham ' in the last century, reappeared on a hedge-bank at Hillington in i88o, and has been gathered two or three times since in the same green lane. G. Jimbriatus occurs with us commonly under spruce firs although not confined to this situation. G. bryantii is to be found both on hedge-banks and on the marshes near the sea m west Norfolk. Batarrea phalloides has not been seen here in recent years, but it occurred twice near Norwich in Sowerby's time, and ' W. J. Hooker * met with it near ' Stoke, Norfolk' prior to 1836. It is so remarkable a species that mycologists should keep the possibility of its reappearance in mind. Xerotus degener is another extremely rare fungus which Sowerby figured from specimens sent to him from Holt in November, 1798, by the Rev. Mr. Francis who 'finds them on heathy ground where turf stacks have stood.' It has never been seen in the county since, and merits careful search, especially as the wording of Sowerby's note implies that Mr. Francis had found it on more than one occasion. The county is poor too in Hydna, only eleven out of forty-nine species having been recorded. One of these the magnificent Hydnum coralloides was also recorded by Sowerby. H. imbricatum requires confirmation as does Clatharus concellatus reported from near Lynn. Torrubia capitata, also a species of Sowerby's recording, was refound by Rev. Canon Du Port, some years ago near Mattishall. The curious manner in which some fungi occur one season and then disappear permanently from that spot, has been well illustrated by such species as Verpa digitaliformis which appeared in a hedge-bank on North Wootton marshes in May, 1871, and never reappeared ; also by V. rujipes which came up at Terrington St. Clements in May, 1875, and never since has grown there, although the exact place was annually visited year after year. Volvaria bombycina too was once gathered on the trunk of a living ash in Lovell's Hall Park in the same village, but never recurred. Some fungi appear once in abundance and then year by year diminish in numbers till they disappear entirely. Peziza corium did this on North Wootton Heath, where on a tramway it was abundant in April, 1876, but gradually got less and less numerous, and in the course of three or four years totally disappeared. It had never occurred in that spot prior to 1871, nor is there any other British record of it. Boletus sulphureus on the sawdust heaps at Brandon wood-yard affords a similar 73
