- Email: [email protected]
Forays
FORAYS By
THE FORAY COMMITTEE
During the period 1897-1939 the Society held sixty-nine major forays devoted to the mycological exploration of localities in the British Isles, namely, five in Scotland, in collaboration with the former Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, four in Ireland, and the remainder in England and Wales. Twenty-seven were spring forays, within the period of 9 May to 10 June, and the remainder autumn forays within the period 5 September to 10 October. On a basis of the collections exhibited on these occasions, supplemented by lists of personal observations supplied by the members present, the Secretary compiled lists of species which were published in the Transactions. There is little doubt that these forays served several useful purposes, as in maintaininga somewhat tenuous' tradition of species', in introducing members to suitable collecting grounds in districts not personally familiar to them, and, to a rather disappointing extent, in encouraging the study of fungi by local naturalists. The Foray Committee feels, however, that a programme offield work based on a more ecological outlook may be envisaged for the future without losing the advantages of the old forays. Study of the published lists suggests that the time is ripe to modify the record-taking at forays. For these reasons: (I) While providing evidence of the occurrence of a fungus in a given district on a given date, the Society's published lists afford little or no clue as to its precise habitat, its relative abundance, or its continuous or discontinuous annual occurrence. (2) Accurate determination of fungi is notoriously difficult, yet as a rule no indication is afforded of the authority for the published determinations, even of rare or critical species. (3) No systematic attempt has been made to preserve specimens, or even drawings, of the rarer British species. The Committee accordingly proposes that: (I) Each foray should be devoted in part to the collection and examination of the fungus flora of a well-defined type of vegetation. It is hoped in time to cover all the recognized types of woodland and also to visit other types ofvegetation, such as moorland, heath, and pasture, each with its characteristic though less abundant fungus flora, which have been much neglected by the Society in the past. It is not proposed to publish separate lists for every foray, but to visit each selected type of vegetation a number of times over a period of years and finally to publish a survey of the fungi found there. With this in view the Committee invites all members present at a foray to co-operate in the more intensive examination of the type of habitat selected, and in the depositing of material of all species collected there in containers provided for the purpose. As has been the practice hitherto, arrangements will be made wherever possible to name and exhibit these collections during the foray. Reports of the year's forays will continue to appear in the Transactions, on the lines of those published during the war, but more detailed. They will include observations on collections of special interest and progress reports on the Society's ecological studies. (2) For the benefit offuture workers the referees responsible for the names in published lists should be indicated. (3) An attempt should be made to preserve representative material of the species recorded and especially of new, rare or critical species, where it will be available for consultation by members or others interested in the validity of a particular record or engaged in monographic study of a species or larger group. It is hoped in 1946 to revert to the longer spring and autumn forays. The Committee feels, however, that the day forays held at localities easily accessible from London have much to commend them and can be usefully employed to promote a mycological survey of south-eastern England. If this principle is accepted, the longer forays should be devoted to examination of less accessible districts and less-known types of vegetation well outside the London basin.
THE FORAY COMMITTEE
During the period 1897-1939 the Society held sixty-nine major forays devoted to the mycological exploration of localities in the British Isles, namely, five in Scotland, in collaboration with the former Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, four in Ireland, and the remainder in England and Wales. Twenty-seven were spring forays, within the period of 9 May to 10 June, and the remainder autumn forays within the period 5 September to 10 October. On a basis of the collections exhibited on these occasions, supplemented by lists of personal observations supplied by the members present, the Secretary compiled lists of species which were published in the Transactions. There is little doubt that these forays served several useful purposes, as in maintaininga somewhat tenuous' tradition of species', in introducing members to suitable collecting grounds in districts not personally familiar to them, and, to a rather disappointing extent, in encouraging the study of fungi by local naturalists. The Foray Committee feels, however, that a programme offield work based on a more ecological outlook may be envisaged for the future without losing the advantages of the old forays. Study of the published lists suggests that the time is ripe to modify the record-taking at forays. For these reasons: (I) While providing evidence of the occurrence of a fungus in a given district on a given date, the Society's published lists afford little or no clue as to its precise habitat, its relative abundance, or its continuous or discontinuous annual occurrence. (2) Accurate determination of fungi is notoriously difficult, yet as a rule no indication is afforded of the authority for the published determinations, even of rare or critical species. (3) No systematic attempt has been made to preserve specimens, or even drawings, of the rarer British species. The Committee accordingly proposes that: (I) Each foray should be devoted in part to the collection and examination of the fungus flora of a well-defined type of vegetation. It is hoped in time to cover all the recognized types of woodland and also to visit other types ofvegetation, such as moorland, heath, and pasture, each with its characteristic though less abundant fungus flora, which have been much neglected by the Society in the past. It is not proposed to publish separate lists for every foray, but to visit each selected type of vegetation a number of times over a period of years and finally to publish a survey of the fungi found there. With this in view the Committee invites all members present at a foray to co-operate in the more intensive examination of the type of habitat selected, and in the depositing of material of all species collected there in containers provided for the purpose. As has been the practice hitherto, arrangements will be made wherever possible to name and exhibit these collections during the foray. Reports of the year's forays will continue to appear in the Transactions, on the lines of those published during the war, but more detailed. They will include observations on collections of special interest and progress reports on the Society's ecological studies. (2) For the benefit offuture workers the referees responsible for the names in published lists should be indicated. (3) An attempt should be made to preserve representative material of the species recorded and especially of new, rare or critical species, where it will be available for consultation by members or others interested in the validity of a particular record or engaged in monographic study of a species or larger group. It is hoped in 1946 to revert to the longer spring and autumn forays. The Committee feels, however, that the day forays held at localities easily accessible from London have much to commend them and can be usefully employed to promote a mycological survey of south-eastern England. If this principle is accepted, the longer forays should be devoted to examination of less accessible districts and less-known types of vegetation well outside the London basin.