STUDY OF MYCOLOGY 



title Fungi Americani Ex siccati, 1878-1882, whose eight hundred 

 specimens show the effects of what may be called a commercial 

 influence.* 



The next prominent American mycologist brings us into the 

 domain of the present generation. For over thirty years Charles 

 H. Peck (1833-) has been state botanist of New York and 

 while by no means neglecting the better known higher flora has 

 devoted himself to the collection, study and description of the 

 fungi of a great state whose fungus flora is consequently better 

 known than that of any other state of the Union. In addition he 

 'has described species of fungi from other parts of the country so 

 that his collection contains a large number of type species, f per- 

 haps second in number to any collection of American species. 

 Peck's annual reports are found in the Reports of the Regents of 

 the State Museum, those containing fungi commencing with the 

 22d issued in 1869 and continuing to the 5ist issued in 1898. 

 They contain many descriptions of species and numerous revisions 

 and synopses particularly of the agaric genera represented in New 

 York state. Some of the reports are very rare, and very few 

 complete sets are in existence. Besides these reports he has con- 

 tributed numerous papers particularly to the Bulletin of the Torrey 

 Botanical Club. 



A little later J. B. Ellis (1829-) commenced his work at New- 

 field, New Jersey, his first paper being published in 1874. Since 



^Ravenel's own collection, which fortunately contains few types, un- 

 fortunately after his death, was sold to the British Museum, so can only be 

 consulted across the water. It is the shame of American botany that so 

 much of its cryptogamic material lias been sent across the Atlantic to be 

 named, or to be absorbed in bulk by European museums where it cannot 

 be easily consulted by future American students. It is just as reprehensi- 

 ble to prove a traitor to the botanical interests of one's country as otherwise, 

 and true Americans will see to it that both these practices are discontinued 

 in the future. 



f These collections are deposited in the State Capitol at Albany and to 

 the disgrace of New York's politicians be it said that they are not decently 

 cared for. Only the state collection can be consulted at all and that only 

 at great discomfort. The types of collections from outside New York are 

 packed away in attics of New York's stupendous pile at Albany. It is 

 hoped that those in authority will correct this distressing condition before 

 the collections suffer irreparable loss from the ravages of insects. 



