CLASSIFICATION OK AGARICS 



Lecting will make a mycologist cautious. A keen observer, like 

 Dr. Peck, will often be quite certain of the distinctness of two 

 species but fails in the description to make the distinction clear or 

 Btrong enough to others. En such a case herbarium material may 



nut show the tacts and only the finding of fresh plants can settle 



the question. 



The making of new Bpecies in baste is equally unfortunate In 

 the preparation of this work, Bcores of unidentified species accumu- 

 lated, and many still remain unidentified. In many cases, bow- 

 ever, the repeated finding of the same thing, often in better condi- 

 tion, perhaps with the accessary young stage, and further and 

 better study on each occasion, resulted finally in its determination. 



Except in a few genera where 1 had made mure extensive collec 

 tions and a more exhaustive study, for example in Russula and" 

 Cortinarius, I felt it unwise to describe as new mure than a few 

 striking Bpecies. in spite of the accumulation of synonyms and the 

 greal possibility that more American species will cud as synonyms, 

 l believe that there are still quite a few Agarics in the United States 

 which are unnamed. But it is hoped that such an expression of my 

 view will not cause every amateur to give names to those he is 

 unable to identify. In the recent (Herman work of Kicken (Die 

 Blatterpilze) over L500 species of Agarics are given for Germany, 

 Austria and Switzerland alone, and very i'vw new species are in- 

 cluded. This is a good example of conservatism with reference to 

 the making of new species. 



Credit has been given to Fries wherever possible in the use of 

 names of European species, even where the species is reported trader 

 Agaricus in the Systema Myculogia. In certain genera only, where 

 sufficient critical work has been done, e. g., [nocybe, has this pro- 

 cedure been varied. If inconsistencies occur it is because the 

 methods of mycologists past and present have been inconsistent. 

 Outside of possible errors each case has been treated with regard 

 to the Brussels Rules on the one hand and the latest facts obtain- 

 able on the other. An attempt is made under many of the Bpecies 

 to present as much material as possible for the further study n\' the 

 species. 



