364 B.EV. M. J. BERKELEY AND MR. M. C. COOKE ON 



From comparison of the total number of 437 with the 886 

 enumerated for Cuba, and 1190 for Ceylon, it will be concluded 

 at once that our knowledge of the Fungi of this vast tract of very 

 favourable country is very limited, and that but a small proportion 

 of the whole mycologic flora is yet known. It may reasonably 

 be assumed that the total number is not in reality less than in the 

 smaller district comprised in the island of Ceylon. 



Of the whole, number of species here enumerated, three fourths 

 and upwards belong to the Hymenomycetes, the numbers being 



Hymenomycetes 356 



Gasteromycetes 13 



Hyphomy cetes 7 



Coniomycetes 5 



Ascomycetes 55 



Incomplete 



1 



437 



1 



Of this total number about 300 are at present confined to 

 Brazil, and 137 are found also in other parts of the world. The 

 number common to Brazil and the island of Cuba is 102, whilst 

 40 species are also found in the United States, 33 in Europe, 34 

 in India (including Ceylon), 18 in the Australasian colonies, and 

 4 are cosmopolitan. 



The Hymenomycetes, of Cuba, with its 886 species, are 488, 

 whilst those of Brazil with its 437 species are 356. Of these the 

 largest number, as usual in tropical countries, belong to the genera 

 Agaricus, Marasmius, and Polyporus. The following comparison 

 is made for these three genera in Cuba, Ceylon, and Brazil, the 

 fractions being those of the total number of species :— 



. . Ceylon. Cuba. Brazil. 



Agaricus .... i i i 



Marasmius J_ i i 



Polyporus i _i_ l 



From this comparison it will be seen that the proportion is 

 greater for Brazil in all three genera over Ceylon, and in two out 

 of three over Cuba. The genus Polyporus has 143 representatives, 

 or more than one fourth of the total number, in Brazil, whilst it 

 has only j in Cuba and ^ in Ceylon. 



The great absence of microscopical forms in this enumeration 

 is probably to be attributed rather to a' deficiency on the part 

 of the collectors than to their absence from the district. It is 



