202 Banker : A preliminary Contribution 



noted : the color whether varied or uniform ; size of plant, giving 

 actual dimensions ; form of pileus and character of surface ; in the 

 scaly species the character and size of scales should be carefully 

 determined ; form and character of stem ; texture of plant and 

 structure of the interior should be fully described ; color and 

 character of teeth, whether coarse, fine, long, short, giving actual 

 dimensions as far as possible ; the color of the spores is important, 

 as is also their size, form, and markings, but this will require the 

 use of a compound microscope ; the odor, when fresh and also in 

 process of drying, and the taste are quite important ; change of 

 color in the fresh specimen when bruised or cut should be looked 

 for; color and character of the juice of the plant should be ob- 

 served ; while even the character of the insect and other animal 

 life for which it may furnish pabulum is not unworthy of the 

 botanist's attention. Special care must be taken to keep the 

 specimens and notes numbered to correspond correctly.* 



In the following synopsis several species included in the notes 

 will be found to be omitted. This is for the reason that an attempt 

 to arrange them in synoptical form at present would be only guess 



work. 



species 



and it is doubtful if they are really American species. On the 

 other hand, there are a number of plants met with in the herbaria 

 and, therefore, very likely to be found again in nature, which have 

 heretofore been referred erroneously to known species ; no at- 

 tempt has been made to provide for these in the synopsis as their 

 characters are too little known and it is quite probable that they 

 will prove to be undescribed species. 



There has been no attempt to adjust the taxonomic relations 

 of the group, nor has its nomenclature been disturbed even where 

 it is known that changes must be made : but the iconography and 

 exsiccati have been given quite fully as these may be of value 

 to those who have access to large collections and libraries. 



* Very helpful and more complete instructions in the collection and preservation of 

 all kinds of fungi have been published in the following works : Burt, On Collecting 

 and Preparing fleshy Fungi for the Herbarium. Bot. Gaz. 25 : 172-186. //. 14- 

 1898. Underwood, Moulds, Mildews, and Mushrooms, 201-206. 1899. Atkin- 

 son, Mushrooms, edible, poisonous, etc. 222-229. 1900. 



