PREFACE 



In the year L898, several Local botanists who were int. 

 in the lower forms of plant life, Organized the "Chicago M i o 

 Society." Its purpose was the scientific study of th< 

 flora of the Chicago area. A division of labor was institu 

 each member selecting a group of plants for special investigatii 

 At the monthly meetings, papers were read and discussed, 

 and specimens brought in for stud)- and comparison, while the 

 formation of individual herbaria and ;i system of card-indexii 

 have made the results of the work available for future use. 



The John Crerar Library has generously given the 

 a room for its meetings (the location being more convenienl 

 than that of the Academy) and has ever been ready to place upon 

 its shelves such literature as might he needed for the prosecution 

 of the work. 



Prior to the formation of the Mycological Society, no co- 

 operative effort had been made in the direction of the stud} 

 the higher fungi of Chicago, and it is through the labors of thi 

 self-constituted specialists aided by the broad spirit of the Crerar 

 Library that the preparation of this bulletin has been made pos- 

 sible. In furtherance of the work of the society the secretary 

 undertook the preparation of a descriptive card-index of all species 

 of the higher fungi reported from the United States. Thi- was 

 found necessary for the reason that no manual of these plat 

 has yet been published in this country, and the descriptions 

 our species must be sought in the transactions of scientific so- 

 cieties and botanical journals, or in many cases in the work- of 

 English, French, German, Swedish and Italian authors. This 

 index, which contains nearly three thousand cards, has In i 

 great value in the determination of our species. 



In cases of doubt, specimens have been referred to \h - 

 Burt, McBride, Morgan, Peck, Lloyd or other specialist-, whi 

 the herbarium of Prof. E. T. Harper of our own society lur 

 useful in resolving perplexing problems, particularly in the 

 woody fungi. Through the zeal and enthusiasm of the 1 

 gentleman it has been possible to exhibit excellent photograpl 

 of a number of our species. Acknowledgments are also due 

 Messrs. F. M. Woodruff and Grant Wyrick for the phol 

 which bear their aames. 



The arrangement of families and genera is that of S 

 Sylloge. Where departure has been made from thi- by Ann 

 I otanists, mention of the fact has been made in the 



It should be understood that this bulletin is only a prelimina 

 study, and is published at this time in order that studei 

 mycology of the Chicago area may have a starting point for 

 own work. That it is far from complete, no one can be mo 

 thoroughly aware than the writer. . He. too, is to be held 

 sponsible for errors in determination, except in cases whe 

 for the admission of a specie- is given t<> some other col' 



W . S. M. 



