308 
number of species thus far known to inhabit the United States, 
according to the author, is 23; and of each of these he gives an 
English diagnosis, followed by copious notes drawn from his 
own observations. It is perhaps known to Mr. Peck’s correspon- 
dents that he has been devoting considerable attention to this genus 
for several years, and through his own collections, and from speci- 
mens communicated by friends, he has been enabled to study 21 of 
the species described (many of them variable) from the plants them- 
selves. Four of the’species, Z. coloratum, Pk., Z. subincarnatum, Pk., 
L. Frostit, Pk., and L. glabellum, Pk., are new to science and 
described here for the first time. Sixteen of the species enumerated 
are known to be inhabitants of New York State. Among the more 
important changes that have been made in the genus we note the 
following: Lycoperdon echinatum, Pers., is again raised to the rank of 
a distinct species from a variety of Z. gemmatum to which it had 
been reduced by Fries; Z. mol/e, Pers., which Fries had also made 
a variety of gemmatum under the name of furfuraceum, is here also 
considered a good species, and enumerated as such; JZ. separans 
Pk., (of the 26th Regent’s Report) is here included under Z, 
Wrightii, B. & C., asa mere variety of that species; Z. a/bo-pur- 
pureum, Frost (Borista cyathiformis of the 23d Regents’ Report) is 
decided to be the same as Z. cyathiforme, Bosc.—a name which has 
the priority; finally, Z. ca/vescens, B. & C., and L. cruciatum Rostk., 
although for the present admitted as species, are thought by Mr. Peck 
to be mere varieties of the very protean LZ. Wrightii, B. & C., and this 
opinion is formed from an examination of authenticated dried speci- 
mens. In conclusion, the author states that his Z. Warne? has turned 
out to be a Podaxon, and must hereafter be called P. Warnei Pk. 
Mr. Peck remarks that “‘ puff-balls’ are useful because they are 
edible. None of the species are considered dangerous or even 
hurtful, yet some are so small and so scarce that they are not of 
much value for food. As an article of food they have this advantage 
over mushrooms; they are not often infested by insects or their 
larvae, and there is scarcely any possibility of mistaking deleterious 
species for them.” He gives the names of six species, the edible 
qualities of which he has tested, but two of them (Z. gemmatum, and 
L. pyriforme) he does not recommend, since they are not well flavored. 
We trust the time is not far distant when we shall have further 
monographs of the fungi from so competent a pen as that of Mr. 
Peck ; certainly there is no need of importing all work of this kind 
from foreign countries. ww 
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