REPORT OF THE STATE BOTANIST I908 7 



Unfortunately, the infonnation sought by means of these send- 

 ings and the value of the specimens sent are both lost by neglect 

 of proper precautions in transmission. Soft, fleshy or fragile 

 specimens of fungi are placed in a letter and mailed without any 

 protection. Consequently they are generally crushed and spoiled 

 beyond recognition. They are sometimes sent in a thin straw- 

 board box or a mere paper wrapper and the result is the same. 

 Such frail specimens should be wrapped in soft tissue paper ( not 

 in cotton) and packed closely enough to prevent jostling, in a firm 

 cardboard box or a thin wooden box or other receptacle firm 

 enough to protect them. It is well in sending fleshy perishable 

 specimens of larger size to wrap each one separately before putting 

 them in the mailing receptacle. Good sound specimens of both 

 mature and immature age should be selected for sending. Speci- 

 mens that have a sodden or water-soaked appearance or are visibly 

 infested by insect larvae or are affected by incipient decay should 

 never be sent, for they are almost sure to be completely spoiled 

 before reaching their destination. Even in sending sound speci- 

 mens long distances, it is well, as far as possible, to time the 

 sending so that it will not be necessary for it to lie in the post 

 ofifice over Sunday. When the transmission would require more 

 than three days it would be better to write full descriptive notes 

 of the characters of the fresh plants, then dry the specimens and 

 sen I both together. It is better not to cut, split or mutilate the 

 specimens in any way before sending them. 



Revised descriptions of the New York species of the genus 

 Leiitinus and of Entoloma have been prepared. They may be 

 found under their respective headings, " New York species of 

 Lentinus "' and " New York species of Entoloma." Similar brief 

 monographs of certain genera of mushrooms have previously been 

 publish.ed and have been so well received by students of mycology^ 

 and acknowledged by them to be such a valuable part of the re- 

 ports that it is thought well to continue them. They furnish in 

 compact and convenient form a ready means of obtaining a knowl- 

 edge of the number and characters of our New York species and 

 their generic relations. The descriptions are preceded in each 

 genus by a " key " which is intended to facilitate the tracing of 

 each species to its description. 



In many parts of our State the season just passerl has been 

 strangely adverse to the mushroom crop. Rain was not lacking 

 in the early part of the season, but the prevailing low temperature 

 apparently prevented the development of mushrooms that other- 



